Blood Is Blood
by PixieSpriteify
Summary: A take on how Jessica and Andy search for Adilyn after she was locked up by the townspeople. Might turn into a series if people like it.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Thought I'd give this a try, I might turn it into a series if it gets good feedback. Still, enjoy and leave a review if you like. Please forgive any mistakes, spelling or plot-wise - I started watching True Blood a week ago and have only seen a bit of season 6 and 7.

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The night cloaked her in its welcome, cold embrace as Jessica strode over the grass of the Bellefleur's estate, completely ignoring the pile of ash that was the only indicator of what had occurred the night before. She hurried over the lawn where she and the infected vampire had stood in a motionless battle for Adilyn's life. Jessica's fists clenched as Adilyn's desperate voice echoed in her head again.

"_I invite you in!"_

"Fuck," Jessica cursed quietly, just like before, at Adilyn's actions. She had been foolish. Jessica had _warned_ her. But the fact that the girl didn't want her to die, despite the terrible things she had done not so long ago; to Adilyn, to her family, was worth more to Jessica than Adilyn would ever know. It was still stupid and foolhardy beyond belief, to invite a young, green vampire with very little self-restraint into the house of a faery Halfling. It was like shoving a recovering alcoholic into a bar with free booze, or waving a lit cigarette under the nose of a smoker. But Jessica could not, _would not _succumb again. She would fight her instincts with everything she had. Hell, she'd chain herself up on the other side of town if she thought that would help. But Adilyn needed her now. This was her chance to prove that she was serious about not hurting her, and protecting her. It was the least she could do for Andy and Adilyn, given their pain was her fault. She didn't deserve Adilyn's forgiveness, nor did she really want it, but she appeared to have it. Or at least was one step closer to obtaining it. A small smile crept across her face as she remembered Adilyn's words, that she didn't hate her. She should, she really should. But she didn't. Before Jessica had unleashed hell on Andy's family, she had liked Adilyn. She had liked all of the sisters, but Adilyn she had favoured slightly more. They could have been friends, if she hadn't –

"Can you track her?" A voice from behind wrenched Jessica from her thoughts as she stopped, turning around to see Andy trudging towards her, gun in hand. But the barrel was not aimed at her, for which she was grateful. "Y'know, smell her?" asked Andy, a little awkwardly as he came to a halt a respectable distance from her. Jessica wasn't offended by the suspicious edge to his tone.

"No," replied Jessica honestly. "Not from this distance. We'll have to look the old-fashioned way until I can pick something up." She silently cursed her abilities for not giving her a specific location.

Andy Bellefleur nodded, holstering his weapon. "Start with the town. See if anybody saw what happened to her." He turned and walked towards his car, the blades of grass crunching beneath his boots. Jessica could hear his teeth grinding quietly as he grumbled anxiously to himself. "You comin'?" he asked as he pulled open his door, pausing before he ducked inside. Jessica frowned at Andy's uncertain expression. Jessica knew she must look exhausted. Sleep had re-energised her a little, but she needed to feed soon. Hopefully not around Adilyn.

"That's – that ain't necessary," she replied quickly, wringing her hands absently. "I can run –"

"I need to keep my eyes on you, lady," Andy replied, pointing an accusing finger at her. He also couldn't help but feel a small amount of pity. Jessica had done nothing but try to atone for her sins towards his family. And he needed her to find Adilyn. It would be better if they stuck together. "I'd feel much better if you were in my sight at all times, in case you –"

"Fine," snapped Jessica, darting over to the car and wrenching open the door. Andy jumped at the sudden movement, causing Jessica to instinctively back away from the car, arms raised above her head as she spotted Andy's hand on his gun. There was a moment of tension as they stared at each other, before Andy let go of the gun and Jessica lowered her arms. Andy climbed inside and pulled his door shut, Jessica mirroring his movements. Settling into a comfortable position, Jessica wondered why Andy wasn't moving already. She glanced at him to find his eyes fixed on her, a strange expression on his face.

"What?" she asked defensively, her fists clenching.

"Ain't you gonna put your belt on?" he muttered as he started the engine. Jessica rolled her eyes, leaning her arm against the window and resting her head on her palm.

"I'm fucking dead, Andy," she replied curtly. Andy shrugged and began driving in silence, leaving Jessica to lean her forehead against the cool glass of the window and stare into the night as the scenery flew by, the muffled hum of the engine the only noise.

"What the fuck?" blurted Andy as they approached the police station. Jessica straightened in her seat, anxiety rising in her. A crowd of townspeople, most of whom were armed with guns, strode around the station building and the surrounding road, as if standing guard. Jessica could hear confident shouts and hollers.

"Shit," she cursed, glancing to Andy, who looked equally worried but anger was bleeding through.

"I leave for a few fucking hours…" he grumbled as he pulled over nearby and kicked open his door. Stepping out, he hitched up his belt, glaring at the souls milling around. Jessica remained inside, unsure if these people would take kindly to a vampire wandering amongst them. Andy leaned back down, poking his head inside.

"You see what you can find. Stay out of sight though. These folks don't seem to be in a vampire-friendly mood right now." As if to back up this statement, a loud blast sounded followed by a triumphant whoop of delight. Jessica jumped, startled by the sudden loud noise. Andy narrowed his eyes and scanned the crowd for the source.

"Try and take us now, fucking vamps!" came a loud yell, receiving a few cheers from the others. Jessica bit her lip, running a hand through her hair.

"I'm gettin' that vibe," she sighed, slipping out of the car and meeting Andy by the front bumper. "Just call for me if you need something," she added, looking around for a place to start her search.

"Will do," nodded Andy. "If you find Adilyn, you get her home first then call me. If you start... slipping out of control, you get the fuck outta my house and come straight to me. You got that?"

"Loud and clear," saluted Jessica before darting away in the blink of an eye. Andy let out a long breath before turning and striding towards the gathered crowd.

As soon as Jessica caught the wind, she could smell her. Very, very faintly, but she knew that smell anywhere. It called to her, begging her to take it, just a single drop. Adilyn was close. She could feel it. Circling the station, she found no way in that was unguarded. Though she could easily charge in and tear them all apart, she would stay out of sight and do this as subtly as possible. But if it came to it, Jessica would cut down anyone between her and Adilyn. Creeping in the shadows, she sped along the wall, behind two men armed with shotguns. They turned, but she was long gone, leaving only a breeze rippling in her wake. With a leap, she sailed through the air and gripped the low roof pulling herself up easily and darting to the large windows. She peered inside, looking at the people milling around below. With a sigh, she moved on, darting across the roof and scurrying to one of the office windows. Adilyn's scent was much stronger now. Jessica peered into another window, seeing a pair of men inside. Biting her lip, she decided to try another one. In the next room, she found a young woman with a small pistol clutched in one hand, her phone in the other, typing away madly. Jessica rapped on the window and ducked out of sight. She waited, listening intently as the woman approached the window peering out curiously, the gun held tightly in her shaking fist. Squinting into the darkness, Jessica heard the woman turn and walk back across the room. Reaching up, she tapped on the window again, whipping her hand out of sight quickly. This time, the woman stomped across the room and stared at the surrounding trees. Jessica remained in her crouch as she heard the window roll open. "Hello?" called the woman again with a bemused expression, her long black hair framing her tanned face.

"Well, hi there," grinned Jessica as she darted to her feet, leaning casually on the mantelpiece. The woman withdrew quickly, her mouth open to scream. Jessica gazed at her, catching the woman's brown eyes. "Don't scream," she urged, her glamour radiating towards the woman. Her mouth closed slowly, though the fearful expression remained on her face. Her hand shook on her gun. "I ain't gonna hurt you," Jessica soothed. "All you have to do is invite me in." The woman looked dazed as her hand settled, her eyes glassing over slightly. Jessica let out a harsh sigh. "_Invite. Me. In._" She pushed harder. She could feel her glamour taking more effort than usual – she needed to feed soon.

"Come… come in," stuttered the woman, looking a little confused. The woman's mind was beginning to fight back.

"Thank you," smiled Jessica, hopping in through the window. The woman stared at her. "And I'm sorry for this," she added with an apologetic grin as her fist snaked out and whacked the woman in the face. She collapsed to the floor at Jessica's feet, unconscious. Jessica made to step over her body, but paused, looking down at the woman's nut-brown skin. Jessica could see her pulse beating beneath the skin of her neck. Jessica found herself gazing at her veins longingly, before shaking her head. "No," she said, stepping over the body and heading for the closed door. "No, no, no." She was hungry. But she could last a while longer. She needed to feed. But if she didn't, wouldn't she find Adilyn so much more appetising? Running her hands through her hair, she dragged her nails across her scalp as she wrestled with this decision. "Fuck it," hissed Jessica, crouching next to the body. Her fangs emerged and she plunged her teeth into the woman's wrist, feeling relief as the warm liquid gushed over her lips and into her mouth. Once she had drunk her fill, she withdrew from the body. The wounds were oozing slightly, but she dug her tooth into her thumb and squeezed a few drops into the woman's open mouth to heal her. Satisfied that she would be okay, Jessica darted to the door, pressing her ear to the wood and listening for movement. The pair next door were still talking, but the corridor was clear. The vampire quickly and quietly let herself out and scurried along the hallway. Her nose guided her to a set of stairs, where she darted down and heard a group of people entering the downstairs corridor. Jessica froze, glancing around for a place to hide. Moving faster than the human eye could see, she kicked in the door to a storage cupboard and slammed the door shut, resting her back against it and listening. The group continued towards her door, talking calmly – they hadn't seen her sprint inside. Impatient now that she was so close to her goal, she clenched her fists, tapping her foot.

"Fucking hell," she cursed, irritated when the voices refused to fade. She was half-tempted just to barge out and blur down the hall, snatch Adilyn and run, but that could lead to more trouble sooner than she'd like it. So she waited. Two men and a woman were speaking, walking slowly past.

"… I don't trust that faery bitch," said the woman, followed by the click of a rifle. Jessica's breath caught in a gasp before she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"I know. Did you see what she did? That ain't right," replied one of the men.

"Yeah, that's some weird alien shit right there," said the other. "What do you think they'll do with her?"

"I don't know, do I?" snapped the first man, followed by a dull thud – like one of them had been hit. "They'll probably just lock her up for a bit."

"What if she can hear us?" asked the woman. "I bet she's been readin' our minds ever since she's been able to speak…" Jessica bit her lip as the trio's voices faded away. Hearing nothing else, she pulled open the door and crept out, sneaking deeper and deeper into the station. Finally, the sweet scent became almost too enticing as she rounded the corner and was met with the sight of Adilyn chained to a chair in one of the jail cells. Wade was similarly trussed up in the cell next to her. Jessica hurried to the bars, grasping the cold metal in her finger as Adilyn's face lit up, a strangled sound struggling to get past the… sock… tied around her mouth.

"Don't you worry, Adilyn," said Jessica in a reassuring but low tone. Adilyn struggled against her chains, trying to speak. Wade too was attempting to communicate, but Jessica was more focused on freeing Adilyn. And not succumbing to the hunger and lust for sweet blood that arose within her. Gripping the bars, she held them tightly and pulled them apart, slowly bending them enough for her to step inside. She darted to Adilyn's side, untying the gag from her mouth. "You're safe now," she smiled. Adilyn returned the grin as Jessica began pulling the chains apart. The beautiful scent radiated from Adilyn in waves, washing over Jessica's senses and tempting her, but she bit her lip, concentrating on her task. She glanced up, smiling, only to suddenly hear a muffled roar from the cell next door, and Adilyn's eyes widened. Jessica quirked an eyebrow, confused, until she saw Adilyn staring at her mouth. Running her tongue over her teeth, she realised her fangs had made an appearance.

"Aw, fuck!" she swore, holding a hand over her mouth to hide them. Wade was straining against his chains, probably cursing beneath his gag.

"Shut up, Wade!" hissed Adilyn, shooting him an angry look. "You'll get us caught!" Jessica looked up at her, bursting the last set of chains and pulling them off of the girl. Holding out her hand, Adilyn took it with only the tiniest hint of hesitation.

"You came," said Adilyn in a hushed tone as she stepped over the pile of chains, Jessica leading her over to the bars.

"Course I did. I said I'd protect you, didn't I?" Jessica replied with a wry smile. Adilyn nodded, glancing at her feet for a moment, before Wade said something unintelligible.

"We need to go," hissed Jessica, regarding Wade with a sour expression. "You aren't safe here." She turned, heading towards the door, before she felt a warm hand on her wrist.

"What about Wade?" asked Adilyn, retracting her hand quickly as Jessica spun around and stepped towards her. Jessica quickly realised she had startled the girl and backed away a few steps, bowing her head slightly. Her fangs had retracted, thank God.

"He'll slow us down," said Jessica quietly, keeping her ears focused on the corridor outside. She had scanned the room – no windows to escape through.

"We can't just leave him here!" cried Adilyn, watching the poor boy struggle against his bonds.

Jessica rolled her eyes, staring at the ceiling for a moment to gather herself. She couldn't take them both, and her priority was Adilyn.

"I need to get you out! He ain't a faery, so they won't kill him! Besides, if he's caught with us, they'll know he was involved. He's safer in here. If I leave him, then he's in the clear, right?"

Adilyn looked from Jessica, whose wrist she still clung to, to Wade, who was looking at her pleadingly.

"We're runnin' out of time!" growled Jessica. "Let's go!"

Adilyn nodded, allowing Jessica's hand to latch onto her forearm and guide her towards the door. Jessica listened for a moment, just to be sure, while a loud muffled cry came from the other cell.

"I'm sorry, Wade!" whispered Adilyn guiltily over her shoulder. Jessica pursed her lips and turned to Adilyn.

"Come here," she said quietly, holding out her arms to Adilyn. The girl stepped forwards but paused, withdrawing her hands as they brushed Jessica's shoulders.

"Are you – are you sure?" asked Adilyn, looking fearful. Jessica took a deep breath, deliberately ignoring the sweet, intoxicating smell as she stepped closer.

"Yes," nodded Jessica, sounding much more confident than she felt.

"Okay," replied Adilyn. With a swift, fluid motion, Jessica swept Adilyn up into her arms as easily as one would pick up a doll and darted out of the door and down the corridor, her footsteps tapping quietly against the floor. Throwing herself into the first door she saw, she shouldered her way into a small office with a desk and some filing cabinets. It was uninhabited, thankfully, and she sprinted to the window setting Adilyn down on the ground.

"You okay?" asked Jessica, holding onto her shoulders and deliberately focusing on her eyes, not allowing her vision to stray to her neck. Adilyn was trembling slightly under Jessica's touch, but she nodded. "Good. It'll be fine," she assured her, squeezing her shoulder before darting out of the window. "Come on." Adilyn clambered out of the window, allowing Jessica to help her balance before the vampire picked her up again and darted a short distance away, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the armed people wandering around. Jessica tore her attention away from her tender but firm grip on Adilyn's sides, one arm looped under her knees, the other grasping her back and determinedly wondered if the rabid vampires would be back – all the more reason to get Adilyn home as soon as possible. Though she felt she should tell Andy, she remembered his orders to take Adilyn home and make sure she was safe before doing anything else. Glancing down at the girl in her arms, who was clinging to her, arms wrapped around her neck, her heart pounding. Jessica was glad she had fed beforehand. She made her decision and darted away again, heading towards Adilyn's house.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and read this. The feedback has been great so I'm continuing. Please forgive any mistakes, and I hope you enjoy this slightly longer chapter, and please drop a review if you feel like it.

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The wind rustled through Adilyn's hair as she gripped Jessica for dear life. She could barely suck down a breath due to the air rushing past her face, like a gale force wind blowing straight into her. The younger girl buried her face into Jessica's neck, half out of necessity, half for comfort. She breathed deeply, inhaling Jessica's surprisingly earthy scent. Her eyes drifted shut as she pressed her forehead against pale skin. She was a little unnerved by the lack of pulse – remembering that Jessica was a vampire, and could easily sink her teeth into Adilyn and suck her dry. But Adilyn didn't care – no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't hate her. She couldn't control herself, and Adilyn was beginning to realise what that felt like, since she wasn't able to control her own powers. They had something in common. She could feel Jessica's strong body pressing against her, hands clutching Adilyn close to her chest. Oddly enough, this was the safest she had felt. Jessica's breath rasped as she continued running. Adilyn could feel it skim over her head, cool against her skin. Adilyn felt Jessica tense as the vampire realised just how close Adilyn was to her – whether out of fear, of what she would do, or something else, Adilyn didn't know. It surprised her how much she found herself wanting Jessica's anxiety to stem from something more than losing control and killing her charge. Though that was just impossible, Adilyn decided. Besides, she liked Wade, right?

Jessica felt Adilyn's forehead against her neck, her warm breath drifting over her skin. Despite the warmth, it made her shiver. Why, she did not know. Adilyn was light as a feather to her, but it was hard to run with that tantalising smell dancing on her tongue, begging her to taste. To distract herself, Jessica let her thoughts wander to Tara, allowing her emotions to overwhelm her and drown out her hunger. Her breath caught as she felt her eyes grow wet. Sniffing quietly, she continued sprinting until she blurred onto the Bellefleur's lawn and skimmed over the grass. Halting at the door, she looked down at the young faery in her arms. Adilyn still hid her face; eyes closed tight, her brown hair ruffled.

"Did they hurt you?" asked Jessica, roving her eyes over Adilyn. She was certain there was no blood – she would know – but they still could have caused her pain. Her grip on Adilyn's thigh was still firm, her other arm looped around her back protectively. She was not going to let go until she knew she was alright. Adilyn pried her head away from Jessica's neck once she realised they had stopped moving.

"N-No," she replied shakily as Jessica carefully lowered her legs, allowing her to stand on the porch. "They –" Adilyn looked up at the vampire, her jaw dropping and her eyes growing wide. "They – they just… tied me up," she stuttered, brown eyes fixed on Jessica's face. "Are _you_ okay?" she asked, her voice a little stronger. Worried her fangs had made another unwanted appearance and scared the girl, she ran her tongue along her teeth, but they were normal.

"Me?" laughed Jessica. "Right as rain." The grin faltered on her face as Adilyn reached up hesitantly. Jessica quirked an eyebrow but remained rooted to the spot, not wanting to scare her by any sudden movements. Besides, she was in control, for now. However, when Adilyn's finger brushed her cheek, gently and fleetingly; her wrist level with her Jessica's mouth, she could hear the blood pounding. She could smell it inviting her to drink, to give in. "What're you doin'?" she asked curiously, stepping back and closing her eyes for a split second to gather herself.

"I'm sorry," replied Adilyn, retreating quickly to the door, her back hitting against the wood, her hand resting on the door handle as she regarded Jessica warily. "You were crying," she said softly.

Jessica immediately turned, running the back of her hand over her face briefly. Returning her attention to Adilyn, she attempted a small smile and a shrug.

"It's okay," assured Jessica, taking a tentative step forwards, ready to back off if Adilyn was spooked. The girl tensed and twisted the handle, opening the door. She set one foot through the doorway before she realised that Jessica could now get in anyway. Jessica saw the anxious look on Adilyn's face. The poor girl seemed torn between wanting to trust her and knowing she shouldn't. "You can rescind your invitation," said the vampire, holding up her hands to show she was no danger.

"I – what?" asked Adilyn, perplexed. Jessica chuckled at her completely adorable expression.

"You can take back my invitation. I won't be able to get back inside," she elaborated, glancing down at her feet. "Probably a good idea," she added.

"So you'd be stuck out here alone?" asked Adilyn, sounding appalled at the thought.

"I don't mind," smiled Jessica. "I… I like thinking. 'Sides, you need to sleep at night. I wouldn't want to keep you up worrying if I'll –" Jessica stopped short, not wanting to finish that sentence.

"So you're just gonna stand out there all night? Again?"

"Sure," shrugged Jessica. Adilyn opened the door wider, biting her lip as she thought it over.

"I ain't doin' that. What –" Adilyn gestured around vaguely, trying to reinforce her point. "What if I'm asleep and you're stupid enough to stay out there 'til daylight again?"

"Don't worry 'bout me." Jessica waved away Adilyn's concern. She immediately regretted it as Adilyn seemed to snap, relinquishing her hold on the door and striding right up to Jessica, jabbing her finger onto the vampire's chest.

"How can you say shit like that when you've just been going on and on about protectin' me and bein' all… all chivalrous, and – and –" Adilyn's voice died away as she seemed to realise whom she was speaking. Her sparkling brown eyes went wide as she froze, her finger still pressing into Jessica's chest, just below her clavicle. Jessica was regarding her with a look of awe at her gall. Adilyn's face flushed red before she withdrew her finger and hopped into the house. "Just come in," she said, avoiding Jessica's eye. "Please," she added with a sigh. Jessica still looked hesitant, her front teeth nibbling gently on her bottom lip, her beautiful face drawn into an apprehensive expression. "I'll… I'll feel better knowing where you are," Adilyn admitted quietly. Jessica let out a short breath and Adilyn looked up sharply, realising her words could be misunderstood. "Not for _that_ reason," she clarified. "But I feel safer with someone in the house." What she didn't say was that despite everything that had happened in the short time they knew each other Adilyn was convinced that Jessica wouldn't let anything happen to her. And she also believed Jessica could control herself.

"If you insist," replied Jessica slowly, and stepped past the young faery into the house. Adilyn stepped back to let her pass and closed the door behind them, suddenly unsure of what to do. Thankfully, Jessica turned to her, a warm smile on her face. "I need to call your dad. He insisted I let him know when I got you back here."

"Oh, sure," said Adilyn, reaching for the phone and dialling the number she had memorised. "Here." Adilyn held out the phone. Jessica took it, their hands brushing, warmth meeting cold, momentarily setting skin to tingle before promptly disappearing. Jessica faltered slightly, but covered with a smile and held the phone to her ear.

"Adilyn? Is that you?" asked Andy's frantic voice on the other end.

"No, Andy, it's Jessica. Adilyn's here though. She's fine," Jessica reported quickly, glancing at Adilyn.

"And you're… okay, right? You ain't gonna –"

"I'm fine, Andy," assured Jessica. "Have –" Jessica paused for a moment. "Have you found Holly yet?" She waited, biting her lip as she wondered if she had overstepped the flimsy bond they had developed. The silence that greeted her seemed deafening, until Andy's voice sounded, much softer than before.

"Not yet," he sighed. "Still lookin'. But… y'know, at least we got Adilyn."

"I'm so sorry, Andy." Jessica's eyes flickered to Adilyn, grateful that she had found her, for Andy's sake and her own. "You want to speak to her?"

"Yeah. Put her on."

Jessica held out the phone to Adilyn, who took it with a smile, trying to ignore the gentle tingling she felt in her fingers when their hands brushed together for a split second. Adilyn felt a blush rise in her cheeks and avoided Jessica's curious gaze, ducking her head and tapping her foot off of the floor.

"Hi, daddy," she chimed. On the other end of the phone line, she could hear distant shouts. "Is everything okay?" she asked, her tone becoming more serious. Jessica was watching her carefully – she could probably hear what Andy was saying. Adilyn was surprised by the anxious lines along Jessica's forehead as her brilliant blue eyes roved Adilyn's face.

"Yeah, darlin'," replied Andy gruffly. "Things're a bit hectic here but it'll be okay. I've managed to calm folks down enough to go home and let the vampires protect them again. I'll be back soon. Stay safe. "

"Alright. I – I love you," nodded Adilyn, tearing her eyes away from Jessica.

"An' if I don't come back –" started Andy, the line crackling slightly. Adilyn's eyes widened in horror at the thought, and would not allow Andy to finish that sentence. It was too horrible.

"No! Daddy, no! Don't even –" she interrupted fervently, only to be cut off. She looked to Jessica, who seemed to tower in the hallway, her face drawn in concern.

"Adilyn," scolded Andy, his voice stern. "If it _does_ happen, I want you to stay in that house. You hear me? You _stay_ in that house with Jessica and you don't come out 'til sunrise. I'd prefer it if you stayed outta town completely unless I'm here with you. Not even with Wade or anyone."

"How is Wade?" asked Adilyn quickly. "They didn't hurt him, did they?"

"He's fine. I untied him. He's holed up somewhere." Adilyn opened her mouth to ask, but Andy seemed to read her mind. "There's a vampire watching him, he'll be fine."

"Good," sighed Adilyn. "That's great." She looked up, a bright smile on her face and caught Jessica's eye. "Wade's fine," she said happily.

"I heard," replied Jessica. Though the red-head had a smile on her face, she looked distant. Her voice lacked its cheery charm. Adilyn quirked an eyebrow but decided not to address it right now. Maybe she was having trouble with her boyfriend.

"I'll see you later, darlin'," said Andy softly before hanging up. Adilyn removed the phone from her ear and stared at it for a moment, contemplating that she might have just had her last conversation with her father. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jessica shift uncomfortably, seemingly unsure of what to do.

"You okay?" she asked finally, as Adilyn's eyes blurred. Rapidly blinking away the tears, she sniffed quietly – though Jessica could hear it clear as day – and forced a smile on her face.

"Fine," replied Adilyn with false cheer as she folded her arms and shifted her weight from foot to foot, aware that they were awkwardly standing in her hallway where the night before, Jessica had been tempted to feed on her.

"No, you ain't." Jessica stepped forwards, placing a tentative hand on Adilyn's bicep, rubbing her thumb gently against Adilyn's flesh. "You – you want to talk about it?" she asked uncertainly. Adilyn was comforted by the touch, but she really didn't want to get into that whole thing right now.

"I'm so rude, come have a seat," she said quickly, mentally shoving her worries to the back of her mind. She gestured to the living room, accidentally brushing Jessica's hand away. Jessica seemed to physically withdraw, sliding gracefully back a step and folding her arms over, curling up on herself. Adilyn was panic-stricken – she didn't mean to offend. "Not that I don't want to talk about it with _you_, I just…," she thought quickly, trying to line up what she wanted to say. "I just don't want to talk about it to anyone. Right now. It's not –" She paused, frowning as she tried to work out a good way to say what she meant. "I can't –" Adilyn threw her hands up in frustration, attempting to conjure the correct words from thin air. A very undignified snort drew her attention back to Jessica, who was sniggering with a hand over her mouth, trying very hard not to laugh. Adilyn narrowed her eyes, but couldn't stop the smile that blossomed on her face as Jessica continued chortling lightly.

"I get what you mean," said Jessica, barely restrained laughter lacing her voice once she could gather enough breath to string the sentence together. Adilyn dipped her head, slipping her hands into the back pockets of her jeans before gesturing to the living room again. Jessica brushed past her with a quiet "Thank you", while Adilyn silently smacked a hand over her forehead at her own idiocy. She was babbling like a fool! The only other time she had babbled like that was when she discovered she liked Wade –

Adilyn pushed that thought deep, deep down in her unconscious mind, refusing to let herself consider the ramifications of it. Instead, she smiled warmly as Jessica settled herself on the sofa.

"I ain't so good with…" Adilyn stopped short, considering her words carefully this time. "Well, this," she said simply, pointing to herself and Jessica.

"And what is this?" asked Jessica in a shy yet playful grin. Adilyn huffed a small laugh and sank onto the sofa at the other end, sitting so that she was facing the vampire, her legs crossed in front of her.

"I ain't had a friend who's a girl before," she shrugged, playing with a lock of her hair to occupy her thoughts. A sharp breath from Jessica drew her attention to the vampire.

"You…" Jessica looked perplexed, letting out an incredulous laugh as she stared at Adilyn like she was crazy. "You think we're friends?"

Feeling hurt at Jessica's disbelieving tone, Adilyn shifted back; moving her legs so she could curl up against the arm of the chair and rest her chin on her knees, holding her legs close to her chest.

"I… I trust you. I thought… maybe we could be," she admitted quietly, feeling completely stupid. "But maybe I was wrong. Again, I ain't so good with people in general –" started Adilyn, staring at her knees before she felt the shock of a soft but chilled hand on her cheek. Her head snapped up – she was still a little on-edge around the young vampire, for good reason – but then she saw Jessica's apologetic expression, the vampire's hand flying back to her side as if a shaft of sunlight had scorched it. Adilyn reached out and caught Jessica's hand, the chill creeping deep into her flesh. Jessica's nostrils flared suddenly at the unexpected touch and Adilyn froze. Her wide brown eyes met icy blue, staring deep into the depths of Jessica's soul – or as much of a soul as vampires could have.

"Sorry," muttered both vampire and faery simultaneously. A light, embarrassed chuckle followed from each.

"I didn't mean no harm by it," said Jessica after a moment's pause. "I'm just… surprised. After everything I've done, I expect you to… hate me." Jessica was unable to maintain eye contact with the young girl and looked down at her lap, where her legs crossed over at the thigh under her dress.

"I already told you. I don't hate you," smiled Adilyn, reaching slowly and gingerly for Jessica's hand. Jessica flinched at the touch but didn't pull away, allowing Adilyn to twine their hands together. "You protected me from that infected vampire last night, then you free me tonight. And you didn't mean it. I kinda know what it's like to have something you can't control. Only mine ain't as bad, I ain't saying that mine is worse than yours –" Adilyn stopped talking, closing her eyes and breathing deeply for a moment. "Sorry, I'm ramblin' –"

"It's cute," replied Jessica, grinning happily. Adilyn returned the smile until there was a sharp click and Jessica's hand darted to her mouth, where Adilyn saw a quick flash of fang before it was hidden. "I'm so sorry! I ain't hungry, I swear!" cried Jessica in horror.

"It's okay." Adilyn could tell this time it was different – Jessica wasn't on top of her, fangs running across her neck, along her throat, cold hands holding her down as Jessica drank her blood. Jessica was in control. "Why do they do that if you ain't hungry?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"They…" Jessica halted, not really wanting to tell Adilyn the real reason. "The… the smell. It's hard to suppress base instincts when I'm around it. But I can control myself," she assured Adilyn quickly, squeezing her hand.

"I see," said Adilyn with a small smile. Part of her story didn't quite ring true, but Adilyn kept her mouth shut. A silence lapsed between them again as Adilyn became aware that their hands were still clasped together; neither girl wanting to let go. She glanced up at Jessica again, who smiled from behind her hand – Adilyn could tell by the crinkling of the corners of her eyes. Adilyn felt tiredness creeping up on her, and despite her best efforts, a yawn escaped her.

"You should sleep," said Jessica, squeezing Adilyn's hand again. The red-head had finally lowered her hand, her fangs retracting out of sight.

"I'm fine," insisted Adilyn, waving away Jessica's concern, but the vampire was adamant.

"No, you're going to sleep. You've been through a lot today." Jessica got to her feet and pulled Adilyn gently up, leading her by the hand to the hallway. "You need some rest."

Adilyn allowed herself to be guided up the stairs, watching Jessica's willowy figure stalk up the steps in front of her. Her dress swayed with her graceful movements, and Adilyn seized the opportunity to take in her protector's curved form without worrying about being caught. However, she did not take into account Jessica's heightened senses, and did not realise the vampire could hear her heart beating faster and sense her blood pounding harder.

Jessica kept quiet when Adilyn's heart began thumping like crazy, though she wondered what could have caused such a significant change. The faery was probably thinking of Wade, she thought with an ever so slight hint of… _envy_? Why would she be envious? She shook off the feeling and pushed Adilyn lightly towards her room.

"I'll just be a shout away," Jessica promised, leaning against the doorframe as Adilyn turned towards her. The vampire took a deep breath and tried to ignore the sweet smell that laced the air around her young charge. She looked beautiful, standing in the semi-darkness, her earnest face illuminated by the light from the hall. Jessica's own face was cast in shadow, a poetic reminder that she was a creature of the night. Adilyn would be better off with someone like Wade, someone mortal, who she didn't have to fear, Jessica thought as bitterness creeping into her reverie. It must have shown on her face, as Adilyn took a confident step forwards, almost all of her former fear evaporating.

"Is something wrong?" asked Adilyn, compassion and worry forming on her face. Jessica couldn't remember an expression this… this caring ever being directed her way for a long time. If her heart could beat, she knew it would probably skip. Jessica felt the tide of emotions rising up inside of her, threatening to wash her away and drown her. But she swallowed all of that down, not wanting Adilyn to see her break. Turning away, her back to the young faery, Jessica bit her lip, swearing at the ceiling as she tried to stop herself crying. Adilyn didn't need to see that.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about me, Adilyn," said Jessica with a quiet sniff. She heard rustling behind her and managed to half-turn before Adilyn collided with her, arms wrapping around her vampire companion and holding her close. Jessica froze, not sure what was happening. After the initial shock of contact, Jessica slowly raised her arms, her fingers gingerly moving across Adilyn's skin on her arms. A sob escaped her throat as she buried her face in Adilyn's shoulder, letting her tears flow freely. Adilyn clasped Jessica closer, despite the shiver of fear that surged through her at having the vampire so close to her. Jessica let herself be held for the next few minutes, sobs wracking through her body as she let everything out; Tara, James, everything. Feeling the warm hand stroke her hair, Adilyn's sweet voice in her ear, the vampire knew she had never been so secure in a long time. The girl who has the greatest right to fear her, loathe her, hate her; to whom she had performed truly monstrous acts, was here comforting her. Jessica could barely wrap her head around it. She couldn't really talk to James any more – he was lovely, but she just wasn't that sure about it. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now… Other things got in the way. He didn't seem to understand Jessica's need to make things up to Adilyn and Andy. Besides, now that she was protecting Adilyn, and he was hanging around Lafayette's, they hadn't spoken to each other for a while now. Jessica was ashamed to admit that her thoughts had barely strayed to him with everything that had happened. Now she cried on Adilyn's shoulder, holding the young faery close like she was the only thing keeping her afloat in the flood of emotions that drowned out her insistent lust for the girl's blood.

A further few minutes passed, and Jessica's sobs grew steadily less painful, until she was just clutching Adilyn to her, feeling the girl's heart beat against her dead flesh. Adilyn's hand was still combing her hair carefully, the repetitive movement lulling Jessica into an almost meditative state. Adilyn said nothing, just rocked slightly on her feet, pressing her fingers into Jessica's sides. Soon, Jessica opened her eyes and pulled away, though Adilyn's hand remained on her side, while her right hand crept up to caress Jessica's cheek, brushing a few strands of red hair behind her ear before running her thumb across her pale skin.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Jessica, her voice still shaky and weak as she sniffed, bashfully wiping her face clean of blood. "I must look like such an idiot. I'm a mess –"

"You ain't," replied Adilyn quietly, continuing to wipe the smears of blood away with her thumb, not caring that her fingers were covered in blood. "Don't ever think that." She was aware that her shoulder was now stained red with blood, but she didn't care.

"Why're you so nice?" asked Jessica with a smile, though she was half-serious.

"I don't know," said the faery simply. Jessica couldn't suppress the chuckle or the fond smile that blossomed across her face as she looked down at the girl before her.

"Alright. I ain't gonna be responsible for you sleepin' 'til noon tomorrow."

"You gonna be okay?" asked Adilyn as she wiped the last smear away. Jessica's eyes drifted shut for a moment. She nodded once and stepped back, immediately regretting it as the comforting warmth disappeared. "Good," smiled the faery, resting her hand against the door, taking a reluctant step backwards into her room.

Suddenly, Jessica's head tilted as the phone downstairs began ringing. Adilyn heard it too, quirking an eyebrow.

"Two seconds," said Jessica, before darting down the stairs and grabbing the phone from the living room where they had been sitting before and sprinting back up again, appearing next to Adilyn. Jessica instantly apologised as Adilyn jumped, but the faery waved it away. Jessica accepted the call, from Andy, and put it on speaker-phone.

"What's happening, daddy?" asked Adilyn, anxiety lacing her tone.

"Infected vamps are back," grunted Andy – Jessica could hear engine noise in the background on the other end of the line. Jessica and Adilyn stared at each other. "I'm nearly home. Don't you dare take a single step outside. You hear me, Adilyn?"

"Y – Yes, daddy –"

"Jessica, you there?" asked Andy gruffly. Jessica frowned, surprised, but addressed the phone held in her palm.

"I'm here, Andy," she chimed.

"If Adilyn is harmed, I'm holdin' you personally responsible."

"Daddy, don't be –"

"I got it, Andy. She'll be safe, I swear it."

"Good. Don't let her leave the house for me or anyone'."

"I won't."

"An' don't you be doing anythin' stupid neither," he warned, before hanging up.

Jessica stared at the phone before turning back to Adilyn.

"You better sleep. Ain't no point you staying up. Best just sleep through 'til dawn when it's safe," said Jessica, turning and stalking towards the staircase.

"Wait!" yelled Adilyn, racing out to the banister and staring down the steps as Jessica blurred out of sight, only to reappear at Adilyn's call halfway down. She peered up, confused. "Please don't go out. Not if you don't need to." Jessica opened her mouth to protest, but Adilyn spoke again, her fear finally bleeding through into her voice. "Please stay with me," she all but whispered. Jessica heard it clearly and her resolve cracked. Besides, she could listen from inside, and the closer she was to Adilyn, the better protected she would be. Although, if somebody did want to hurt Adilyn, it wouldn't matter the distance, Jessica would kill them. Adilyn was _hers_.

"Alright," nodded Jessica before blurring up the stairs, materialising next to a startled Adilyn. Jessica placed a comforting hand on Adilyn's forearm and led her back to the bedroom.

Adilyn walked into her room, glad that Jessica was staying inside. She felt safer, ironically, with the vampire in the house. And she also felt relieved that Jessica was safe inside. The infected vampires couldn't come in without an invitation anyway. She could hear Jessica's timid footsteps behind her as the vampire leaned against the doorframe, looking around Adilyn's room with polite interest. Aware that her shoulder was covered in blood, she decided to change into her pyjamas. She grabbed her shorts and tank top from under her covers and pulled off her shirt without a moment's thought, revealing the black bra beneath. A sharp intake of breath made her turn to Jessica, who was staring at the floor, muttering an apology.

"It's okay, I don't mind," said Adilyn with a shrug, pulling on her top and unfastening her bra beneath the material, sliding it off of her arms and hurling it across the room.

"I do," grumbled Jessica. If she were human, she knew she'd be blushing right now. She hadn't expected Adilyn to strip like that, and the sight of the faery's body had definitely not helped her confusion at all. Adilyn quickly whipped off her jeans and pulled on her shorts. Only then did Jessica glance up with a sheepish smile. Adilyn returned it, feeling surprisingly comfortable in the vampire's presence. Adilyn crawled into bed, though the news that the infected vampires were back had chased sleep away for now. Jessica lingered in the doorway, watching Adilyn with a gentle, fond expression.

"Don't you want a seat?" asked Adilyn with a yawn.

"I wouldn't want to –"

"You won't," smiled Adilyn. "Please," she implored, employing the puppy-dog eyes that always works on her father. They seemed to work on Jessica too, as the vampire walked forwards and sank onto the foot of Adilyn's bed, her eyes flicking to the window and back to Adilyn.

"Okay. Sleep now," she insisted, patting Adilyn's feet beneath the covers. Adilyn pulled the covers up over herself, her anxiety showing on her face. Jessica saw it and smiled reassuringly. "I'll be right here."

"Can – can you wake me just before dawn?" asked Adilyn, looking up at Jessica.

"Why?"

"Well… I…" Adilyn couldn't bring herself to say the words. "Never mind."

"Oh," said Jessica, realising what Adilyn meant. "You could always sleep in a little and wake me when you get up," she suggested.

"I won't bleed outta my eyes an' ears though. I can get back to sleep anyway," shrugged Adilyn, lying back on her pillows and taking one last look at her protector before she closed her eyes. "There's books and stuff if you get bored."

"Thanks," said Jessica, shifting into a more comfortable position on the bed, her hand remaining over Adilyn's feet.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there, I'm amazed by the number of people who like this in such a short time and your reviews are the best, thank you so much. I tried to respond to all of them but if I missed a few, I apologise. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I've got a semi-solid plan in my head for the next chapters. Please keep reviewing, and forgive any mistakes - most of these are written late at night.

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A faint rustling roused Adilyn from her slumber. Opening bleary eyes, she looking around her room for the source. Warm light from the hallway poured in, illuminating all of Adilyn's worldly possessions. Her eyes fell on her dresser for a moment, which was full of clothes that were far too small for her. Adilyn hoped she was done with her strange growth spurts – she was still discovering who she was, and it seemed fitting that she was the age that humans find seemed themselves too. She had to find out about her human and her faery sides, the sooner, the better. Maybe she'd ask Sookie soon. Her eyes moved slowly to her desk, where books were stacked high in four separate, random piles. Holly had given her a few and taught her how to read – Adilyn learned amazingly quickly, like she was relearning a skill she hadn't used for years. Thoughts of Holly made Adilyn's heart clench tightly and painfully – she hoped fervently that she was okay. She loved Holly, though she didn't know much about her. She had looked after her while Andy was out at work, and had answered every one of Adilyn's incessant questions as well as she could. And took care of her. Now she was – Adilyn stopped that train of thought right there. She couldn't think like that, she decided, clenching her fists on the sheets. Pushing those thoughts to the deepest, darkest part of her mind, as she had been doing for a while, she heard the rustling again, like paper, and looked down at the foot of her bed. A dark figure was stretched out across the duvet, head buried in a book, a small smile on their face only just visible in the shadows that pooled across her features. Adilyn opened her mouth to speak, just as Jessica looked up at her, having picked up on the subtle changes in Adilyn's physiology.

"Mornin'," smiled Jessica. Adilyn glanced over at her window – the curtains had been drawn, by Jessica, she assumed – and saw that it was still black as pitch outside. "Well," continued the vampire, propping her weight up on her elbow and facing Adilyn. "Early mornin'."

"Very early mornin'," corrected Adilyn, fatigue lacing her voice as she rubbed her eyes and ran her hands over her face. "Is Daddy back yet?" she asked, memories of the call sweeping back over her. Jessica's face fell, giving Adilyn her answer.

"I'm sure he's fine," assured Jessica. "I ain't heard no vampires around here so far. Two more hours 'til dawn," she smiled, patting Adilyn's feet under the duvet. Adilyn nodded and looked away, her fingers toying with a loose thread in her sheets. She tried her best to quieten her nerves – Andy should have been back ages ago. "You have some real interestin' books," said the vampire, clearly attempting a subject change. "Lots of supernatural and sci-fi." Adilyn smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"Holly suggested a lot of them to me. She…" Adilyn stopped, biting her lip as emotions welled up inside her. Jessica had closed the book over and was sitting upright, legs curled underneath her and her hands resting on Adilyn's feet. "She was gonna take me shopping for clothes soon," she said with a sigh.

"I'm so sorry," replied Jessica, at a loss for anything else to say. Adilyn nodded again, appreciating the sentiment but not trusting herself to speak. "I… I could lend you some. I mean, we're pretty close in build, I think, but I don't know if it's your style or whatever –" Adilyn smiled, properly this time, at Jessica's babbling. Jessica paused, aware of her rambling and looked down sheepishly. "And when all this blows over, we could go out. Shopping, I mean," she added quickly. Adilyn giggled at Jessica's embarrassment. "There's a few twenty-four hour places, if you don't mind staying up. I'll make sure no-one hassles you -" Jessica's face had fallen a little, as if realising this was a terrible idea that Adilyn would never go for. "I mean, if you want to, I understand if–"

"That sounds lovely," said Adilyn earnestly. Jessica grinned, her fingers gently tapping Adilyn's ankle.

"Speaking of clothes, I better change soon. I've been wearin' this thing for days," grumbled the vampire, pulling at her dress, which was stained in small patches with dirt and blood. "I must look a mess."

"You still look nice," replied Adilyn with a shrug. It was true, Jessica looked stunning, with her red hair, and her bright blue eyes – Adilyn halted that thought before it went anywhere else, aa blush threatening to rise to her cheeks.

"Why thank you," smiled Jessica, drawing Adilyn's attention back to reality. "You are too kind, and too good at lyin'," she added with a smirk.

"I ain't lyin'!" laughed Adilyn, picking up her pillow and whacking it into Jessica's face. The vampire hadn't been expecting it and was left with a comically surprised expression. Adilyn stifled a giggle as Jessica slowly looked down at the pillow in her lap.

"Oh, you did _not_!" exclaimed Jessica, picking up the pillow and hurling it back. Adilyn ducked, the pillow bouncing off of the arm she had thrown out to shield herself. A laugh escaped Adilyn's lips as Jessica lunged forwards for the pillow, the pair of them wrestling – Jessica using half strength to ensure she didn't harm the faery. They rolled around on the bed, Adilyn pinned under the vampire as they grappled with the pillow before Jessica wrenched it away triumphantly, holding it high above her head as she straddled Adilyn's waist. Adilyn could feel the cold seeping through her thin pyjamas as Jessica's legs pressed against her sides. Her breathing ragged from exertion, Adilyn gazed up at the vampire above her, and couldn't help but wonder if the look Jessica was giving her – warm, tender and even slightly fearful – was perhaps something she should ask about. Was this a normal friend thing? Because that expression reminded her of the look she saw on Andy's face when he saw Holly. _But it's just the blood, right?_ she thought, gazing up into Jessica's eyes. It had to be just the blood. A small part of her, one that she was trying to deny, was beginning to hope it was maybe something more. Jessica was more than just a vampire who tried to drink her dry; she was more than the monster Andy was convinced she was. She cared for Adilyn enough to risk her life – or death – in daylight to protect her. She cared enough to stay with her, despite Jessica's obvious fear of losing control. Adilyn worried about that too, but she'd worry more if Jessica was outside by herself. What if a pack of vampires appeared? Jessica couldn't take them all on alone. Then again, maybe she could. Adilyn didn't know. But she'd prefer not to have to find out. She stared up at Jessica, whose face was slowly morphing from happy, to confused, to horror.

"Jessica?" asked Adilyn, sitting up and leaning on her elbows, staring at the vampire with growing concern. "Jessica, you okay?"

"Oh no," gasped Jessica as she froze, the pillow falling to the ground.

"Jessica?" Adilyn repeated, her eyes widening. Jessica's pink lips opened and an ominous click made Adilyn's blood freeze. Her heart began racing as she tried to scrabble backwards, her breath coming in terrified pants and a tingling spread down to her fingers. "Please!" she cried desperately, images of that horrific night flooding through her mind. "_Please!_" A hand shot out and gripped her neck, forcing Adilyn roughly back onto the duvet. Jessica's eyes were hooded, her fangs glinting in the dim lighting, a feral look in her eyes as she leaned over Adilyn. The faery struggled, her body shaking with fear but Jessica was immovable, her grip slowly crushing Adilyn. It didn't matter how much she pleaded. Jessica was gone, her eyes pools of hunger. Adilyn felt fangs brush her neck, cold and sharp. Fear built in her chest and exploded in a loud, keening scream.

Her hands seemed to vibrate as a bright light formed in her palms. Instinctively, Adilyn let it go, and with a blinding flash, she was free. She sat up straight, the light dwindling to a small glow, no brighter than a candle. Her breath came in spurts as she saw the dark figure stirring in the shadows. Jessica had been thrown across the room, hitting the wall and slumping to the floor with a loud thud. Adilyn rolled off of the bed and felt an odd rush of power flowing through her. Across the room, Jessica was climbing to her feet; the rabid, animalistic look still present. She growled, a low and deadly sound that chilled Adilyn's spine as if Jessica had run her icy hands down her skin, before she blurred out of sight. Adilyn backed up into the wall and raised her arms as if she had a hope of stopping the vampire, turning her head to the side with a small cry. Unbidden tears dripped down her face. A second passed. And another. Cracking open an eyelid, she glanced fearfully back at Jessica. The vampire was frozen, her pale face illuminated by a bright purple light that poured out of Adilyn's hands in two bright beams. Frowning in confusion, Adilyn stared at Jessica, who stared back, the hunger in her eyes giving way to shock.

"J -Jessica?" said Adilyn tentatively, staring from her own hands to Jessica, who was frozen with one hand outstretched to Adilyn's neck, her fingertips barely an inch from Adilyn's throat.

"What's happening?" asked Jessica, shaking her head slightly, regarding her frozen arm with fearful eyes. So she still had control over some movement, noted Adilyn. The light beams were focused on Jessica's arm and torso, which were fixed in place. "I can't move!"

Jessica tried her best to pull away from Adilyn, but it was almost like she was being held in place by some strange force. A tingling spread from her torso and arm. She took a deep breath, the smell of sweet honey filling her nostrils and causing her to nearly salivate.

"Oh my God!" she cried, realising what had just happened. "Adilyn, I'm so sorry!" She stared at the faery, who looked just as shocked as she was.

"I-it's okay," stammered Adilyn. "Are you – are you still –?"

"No, I'm fine now, I swear! I'm so fuckin' sorry! Did I hurt you?" she asked, focussing on Adilyn's face to see if there was any damage.

"No," replied Adilyn in relief. "But – But _this_ happened," said Adilyn, nodding to her hands. "What do I do?" she asked. A wave of tiredness swept over her as her hands continued vibrating, her muscles struggling to keep up.

"I don't know," replied Jessica anxiously. She was close enough to feel Adilyn's warm breath just brush her face, barely two feet away, her hand mere inches from Adilyn's throat. "Can you turn it off?" she asked, feeling sorry for herself. Adilyn shouldn't turn it off. She should be frozen like this forever, punished for what she had almost done. Again.

"Uhm…" Adilyn closed her eyes, trying to remember what Bill had said to her when they went to save Sookie. It seemed so long ago, after everything that had happened. She tried to close her fists, but it was almost like pushing two similarly charged magnets together. "I can't," she groaned with a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry," she added.

"You're sorry? You ain't got nothin' to be sorry for! It should be me apologisin'. Which I do. Again."

"You can't help it," shrugged Adilyn, still frowning at her hands, trying to work out how to switch it off. She found she could move, thought the beams were always focused on Jessica. Gingerly, she reached forwards and touched Jessica's outstretched arm while Jessica stared down at the young faery. How could she be so forgiving, just brushing off nearly being sucked dry by some pathetic vampire who had no self-control? "And you ain't pathetic," she added absently, watching the veins on Jessica's frozen arm throb purple around her finger.

Jessica's eyes widened. "I… I didn't say that."

"Yeah, you did," replied Adilyn, confused. "You mumbled a lot of it, but I heard 'pathetic' loud and clear."

"No, I really didn't say it. I thought it," clarified Jessica slowly.

"Oh."

Silence lapsed between them, until Adilyn's took a few deep breaths, calming her heart and the beams from her hands began to flicker and dim until they had receded completely. As her fear disappeared, her power lessened. Jessica slowly regained control of her body as Adilyn's power faltered, allowing her to shake off her now numb arm. Her fangs had disappeared, thankfully, and she was in control again. She couldn't bring herself to look at Adilyn as she backed away to the doorway, ready to run out again.

"Don't go," said Adilyn in a quiet voice. She was still standing against the wall, her arms tingling and her body shaking – Jessica could hear it. The vampire froze, turning slowly to see Adilyn standing in the shadows, tears dripping down her face.

"Why do you want me to stay?" she asked in disbelief.

"Because I do," replied Adilyn tiredly, swaying on her feet. "You ain't a monster. It was a mistake, that's all," she mumbled, as she began to sink to the floor. Jessica blurred to her side and caught the faery, picking her up and carrying her to the bed. She lowered Adilyn gently to the mattress, momentarily transfixed by her beautifully calm and peaceful features. The girl moaned in exhaustion as Jessica pulled the covers up over her. Jessica brushed a lock of brown hair from Adilyn's face, which was coated in a thin sheen of sweat. This was odd. Sookie couldn't read her thoughts. But Adilyn was more faery than she was. Jessica glanced down at her arm, which was almost completely back to normal apart from those fang marks where Adilyn had drank from. They had been healing, but not as fast as they should be. Now, though, the skin was knitting back together, a glint of purple light shimmering on the wound. _Well, that's fuckin' weird,_ she thought, her fingers resting on Adilyn's temple.

"What's fuckin' weird?" asked Adilyn, her voice laced with a yawn. Jessica withdrew, shocked.

"Nothin'," said Jessica quickly. "Everythin's fine."

Adilyn woke with a start, her body feeling like lead. She could barely even move. Her arms were stiff and sore. Opening her heavy eyelids, she found it was just approaching dawn, judging by the dim light glowing against her thin curtains. Jessica was sitting by the open door to the hallway, reading the same book as before. Her pale fingers stroked the pages as she shifted slightly, turning the page. Adilyn sat up a little straighter, tearing her eyes away from the vampire reluctantly. Her movements caught Jessica's attention.

"How're you feelin'?" asked Jessica quietly with a small smile.

"Like hell," replied Adilyn, barely able to keep her eyes open. Jessica was immediately at her side, concerned eyes roving across her features.

"Here." Jessica carelessly bit into her arm and held it out for Adilyn.

"I don't need that. I'm –"

"Don't you say you're fine, Adilyn," warned Jessica softly. "It'll make you feel better. It's the least I can do."

Adilyn knew if she fought, she would lose, so she acquiesced and dipped her head, pressing her lips over the two small puncture wounds and sucked gently. A small groan escaped from Jessica, quickly followed by a muttered apology. Adilyn drank, trying not to think about exactly what she was drinking, though it didn't taste too bad. After the first few gulps, Adilyn felt her pain alleviate, melting away with each mouthful. She also felt a strange buzzing in her head, a good buzz. Glancing up at Jessica, she saw the vampire staring at her with… _lust_? Definitely not the blood-thirsty hunger of a few hours ago. This was a different kind of hunger. The thing was, Adilyn felt it too. She knew that vampire blood was like a drug. She had had a few _very_ strange dreams since she had taken that tiny amount of Jessica's blood. But she had forgotten about them. This, however, was no dream. She could feel her body burning for more as she continued to drink from Jessica. Soon though, Jessica's hand moved to Adilyn's face, gently pulling Adilyn away from her arm and tilting her head upwards slightly. Adilyn watched as Jessica's gaze moved slowly from her eyes to her lips, which were now covered in Jessica's blood, a droplet drifting down her chin. Enamoured, Jessica leaned forwards slowly, giving Adilyn plenty of time to pull away if she desired. Adilyn remained where she was, enjoying the chill of Jessica's hand on her cheek as the vampire drew close enough to feel Adilyn's breath on her cheek and carefully licked away the blood before it dripped down Adilyn's neck. Adilyn let out a shaky breath as Jessica brushed their cheeks together, her lips centimetres from Adilyn's ear.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice low and sultry. The sound sent shivers down Adilyn's spine as she nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Jessica chuckled darkly before pulling back from her ear and running her left hand through Adilyn's hair. She leaned forwards, eyes drifting shut as she pressed her lips against Adilyn's. Adilyn's eyes shut as she tensed momentarily, aware of how dangerous this was. But then Jessica's tongue swiped across her blood-stained lips and Adilyn found herself reciprocating, one hand curling around the back of Jessica's neck, the other buried in Jessica's smooth, soft hair. Ever so carefully, without ever breaking contact, Jessica lowered Adilyn's head onto the pillows, pressing their bodies together, her thighs on either side of Adilyn's waist. Adilyn felt fear shooting through her, as this was almost the same position that they were in when Jessica lost control. Jessica must have sensed it, as she pulled back a little, just enough to see Adilyn's face. Her hand crept from Adilyn's hair to her cheek, so both hands were cradling her face, caressing her skin. "We can stop –"

"Don't," grinned Adilyn. Jessica's face lit up and she kissed Adilyn again, her hands roaming tentatively over her body, ready to withdraw whenever Adilyn got spooked. Soon, Adilyn's top had hit the wall and slid to the floor, just like Jessica had done hours previously, and Jessica was touching her, and kissing her, devouring her in the best way possible –

A loud bang sounded and startled both girls. They stared up at the door in horror as Andy Bellefleur glared at them, eyes wide with rage and shock, his fist battering off of the light-switch, nearly breaking it with the force of his barely repressed rage.

"Get offa my daughter, you fanged harlet bitch!" he bellowed, pointing his pistol at Jessica.

Adilyn snapped awake to see Andy standing in the doorway, pointing a pistol at Jessica, who had rolled off of the foot of the bed and was standing next to the window with her hands up. Adilyn could see the first light of day pouring into the room through the curtains. Adilyn threw off the covers and leapt out of bed, glad and slightly confused to see that she was still fully clothed in her pyjamas. Andy took a step towards Jessica, the gun shaking in his hand.

"Daddy, stop!" she yelled, walking up to him and standing in front of the gun.

"What was she doing in here?" roared Andy, his face contorted with rage. "It's bad enough she's in the house, but in your _room_ –"

"I asked her to stay!" interrupted Adilyn, desperate to calm the situation.

"Are you damn stupid? She's dangerous –"

"Adilyn," said Jessica, cutting through the heated argument. Adilyn turned to her, brown eyes meeting icy blue. "It's okay. I'll just go get outta your hair." Her gaze moved over Adilyn's shoulder to Andy. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again," she said in a serious tone, before moving towards the door.

Jessica brushed past Adilyn, trying to ignore the girl's hand reaching up to stroke her arm in a gesture of comfort. She squeezed Adilyn's hand subtly before blurring away into the attic before she burned. Shutting herself into the welcome darkness, she slid down the door to the ground, where she sat and hung her head. Her eyes shut and she silently berated herself for nearly biting Adilyn again, for the trouble Adilyn was now in – she could hear Andy shouting at her. Adilyn yelled back, though her voice was twisted and wracked with emotion. It pained Jessica to hear such a sad sound, and it made it worse that she was the cause. Soon though, the shouting had stopped and a door slammed. Jessica heard the pattering of hesitant footsteps dance up the stairs – clearly Adilyn's, since it was impossible for Andy to be that light on his feet. She listened, curious, as the footsteps stopped right outside the attic door. Jessica waited for a knock, dearly hoping that Adilyn wouldn't turn around and go back down. Although she really should. Jessica needed to feed again soon, but she should be okay for another day. Finally, Adilyn rapped quietly on the wood. Jessica retreated to the far side of the attic and called Adilyn to come in. The vampire closed her eyes as sunlight poured in from the round window just outside the door, but Adilyn closed the door quickly.

"Sorry about my dad," she apologised immediately.

"He's right," replied Jessica, a bitter edge to her voice.

"Maybe," said Adilyn. Jessica sighed, staring at the floor as she heard footsteps approaching her. She concentrated on the wooden boards, counting the dark whorls and knots. "But I can decide for myself. It's my life, after all."

"An' I don't want to cut it short," snapped Jessica, shying away from Adilyn.

"You won't. I trust –"

Jessica felt her delicate composure snap, setting her icy gaze on a defiant-looking Adilyn. "Don't finish that sentence, Adilyn Bellefleur!" growled Jessica. "Listen to your daddy! I ain't good for you."

"It's my choice!" barked Adilyn firmly, squinting into the shadows.

"And I'll have to live with the consequences!" blurted Jessica before she could stop herself. "I'll have to live with the fact I killed you, like I did to your sisters! I might as well face the sun 'cause I won't be able to live with myself. If Andy doesn't get me first, not that I'd stop him." Jessica's voice broke near the end of the sentence, causing Adilyn's heart to skip a beat.

"Don't you dare, Jessica! Don't you fuckin' dare!" ordered Adilyn, terrified at the thought of Jessica doing such a thing. Angry too, Jessica guessed, as she could feel the faint traces of the girl's emotions.

"Rescind my invitation," demanded Jessica. "Tonight at dusk. I want you to take it back."

"I ain't gonna," stated Adilyn defiantly, crossing her arms.

Jessica leapt to her feet and strode up to Adilyn, who stood her ground, though her hands were back by her sides, clenched into tight fists.

"I said I'd protect you and that's what I'm doin'! You're gonna do it!"

"You can't make me!"

"Fuckin' _hell_!" swore Jessica, hurling a fist into a beam of wood, which splintered. "Why can't you just be sensible and keep yourself safe?"

"I can. I'll learn to use my power." Adilyn glanced at her hands, which were glowing faintly again. "I can protect myself." Shifting her weight on her feet, she waited for Jessica's next argument.

"What if it's not enough?" asked Jessica, her anger draining away, leaving only desperation.

"What if it is?" countered Adilyn, extending a hand to brush Jessica's arm. Jessica flinched but Adilyn gripped her firmly, though not tightly, and felt a strange rush in her head. "You don't want to hurt me," she said, concentrating on Jessica's voice, even though the vampire wasn't speaking.

"What – What're you doing?" asked Jessica, fearful as Adilyn's eyes began to glow dimly. Adilyn ignored her.

"You're scared of yourself. You – you –" Adilyn's voice tailed off, her eyes returning to normal, her sad gaze resting on Jessica's face. "You hate yourself…" she said quietly. She had suspected that, but it felt much worse hearing Jessica's thoughts themselves.

Jessica slumped to the floor, curling up in a ball and cradling her head in her hands. Adilyn gasped and dropped to her knees, feeling horrible for what she had done. She had read Jessica's mind, like she could do with humans, though reading Jessica seemed to require her touch. Adilyn realised how intrusive that must be, and experimentally touched Jessica's arm. If she didn't concentrate, she couldn't hear anything. She gave Jessica her full attention, rubbing her arm and shoulder and trying to get her to respond. Even having her crying and sobbing would be preferable to this wretched silence.

"Jessica, please," Adilyn almost sobbed.

"I'm a monster," Jessica whispered. "Someone as light and good as you shouldn't be near somethin' so dark."

"Don't be ridiculous," soothed Adilyn, stroking her red locks gently. Jessica took pleasure in the feeling of soft fingers running through her hair, it was laced with guilt. "I… uhm," Adilyn paused for a moment. "I brought you some blankets and pillows and stuff. I didn't know if you'd… get cold or nothin', but it can't be comfy up here on the floor."

Jessica didn't trust herself to speak, but Adilyn seemed to know that. Hoping to God that Adilyn had only glimpsed a tiny portion of her mind, she nodded, as that was all she could manage. Adilyn began to slowly pull away, but surprised even herself when she hesitantly bent down and pressed a light kiss onto Jessica's temple. Jessica froze at the touch, and Adilyn felt her heart racing, betraying her emotions to the vampire. She quickly got up and left, closing the door quietly behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello, I've been away from civilisation with a crappy internet signal so guess who got a ton of writing done? I have a solid plan for at least ten, probably more chapters, and number five is already done, so hopefully you'll all be pleased with that. My paragraph spacing is terrible, it keeps screwing up when I edit, mostly because I'm lazy but I think I've fixed that. Forgive all errors please, and post a review if you like, they give me so much more motivation to do this. Thanks for all the support.

* * *

Adilyn closed the door as quietly as possible and let out a long breath, resting the back of her head against the door. The cool wood pressed against her hair – she wondered if Jessica could hear the rustling of her hair as she slid down the frame and curled up, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts drifted back to before Andy had burst in. The feel of Jessica's lips on hers, their bodies pressed against each other, her body positively thrumming with desire and longing. It had seemed so _real_, so vivid. But when she woke up, no hands were caressing her, no tongue running gently across her neck.

_It was another dream, _she realised as she buried her head in her hands. Pressing her fingers into her skin, she let the sharp pain from her nails take away the sting of disappointment.

"Adilyn!" came a gruff bark from the landing. Adilyn shot up and scrambled down the stairs, almost tripping over her own feet in the process before she reached bannister, leaning out over it to stare down at Andy in the lower hallway. After their shouting match, Andy had trudged downstairs and shut himself in the living room. Adilyn had managed to hold her ground – just. If this was going to devolve into another fight, she would probably break down and flee to her room.

"What?" she called down the stairs, trying to appear nonchalant. If Andy knew she had been up to the attic, he'd probably lock her in her room.

"I'm gonna crash for a few hours. Don't you be goin' out or… or," Andy waved his hand around, searching for the correct words. "Or doin' anythin' stupid. If you need somethin', you come wake me." Adilyn nodded, relieved that the conversation hadn't taken a bad turn. Andy stepped back towards the living room, the floorboards creaking beneath his feet, before looking back up at her. "I don't wanna see Jessica anywhere near your room again. You got that?" he asked.

"But Daddy, I was worried and I didn't want to be alone–"

"I don't care!" roared Andy, cutting off his daughter mid-sentence. "Why don't you get that she's dangerous?"

"She's not just a monster! She's a girl! She's kind! She's… she's caring!" argued Adilyn, her voice rising in pitch. "She's – she's a –"

"A fuckin' _vampire_, Adilyn! She nearly killed you once! She'll do it again, and I ain't gonna let that happen," growled Andy in a tone that Adilyn could not argue with.

Adilyn groaned in frustration and turned her back on her father, storming into her room and slamming the door shut. She hurled herself onto her bed where she beat her fist angrily against the pillows a few times before slumping onto her back and breathing deeply. A faint tingling on her skin drew her attention to her palms. Raising them to eye level, she squinted in amazement as a tiny ball of light shimmered dimly on each palm.

"Weird," she mused to herself, staring at her hands until the little spheres faded. With a sigh, she looked around her room. It looked different in daylight, the shadows receding to the deepest corners. On the floor lay the book that Jessica had been reading the night before. Adilyn slid over her bed and leaned out, reaching for it. A few of the pages had bent due to the way it landed; open, with the spine facing the ceiling. Elegant black lettering on the cover indicated that Jessica had been reading her copy of 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'. It seemed fitting, given the circumstances; a man attempting to separate his 'good' self, the well-liked, upstanding doctor, with his 'bad' self, a beastly little creature who acted on the most basic of instincts. Adilyn marked the page it had fallen on and set it on the foot of her bed, where Jessica had been lying. Memories of her dream flooded back before she could stop them. She had never felt this confused before. Most things in this world didn't make much sense to her, but this strange attraction to Jessica had her flummoxed. Where was the line between friends and more than that? And had she just crossed it? A part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind and leap across said line. But the rest of her battled with this urge. Jessica was a vampire – if Adilyn hadn't been lucky enough to use her power, she would be dead by now. And Adilyn liked Wade. He was good-looking. He smelled nice. He was good to her. That's what she wanted. But Jessica was proving to match that criterion too. But Adilyn was maybe just happy to have another girl her age, going through some of the same things that she was. Her feelings were too muddled up by the blood. She knew that ingesting the blood of a vampire brought on a strange attraction to the vampire in question. It would wear off eventually though, Adilyn hoped. She would just wait until then, and work out what she was feeling with much more clarity.

* * *

As sleep swept over Jessica, blurring her thoughts with wonderfully numb darkness, she felt a pulse of anger shoot through her. Her fingers clutched the blankets beneath her, gripping them tight – this was Adilyn's anger, not hers. It passed quickly though, and Jessica settled back down on her blankets. The soft pillow beneath her head smelled of Adilyn, which comforted her as she breathed it in slowly, allowing herself to sleep. She wondered, somewhat enviously, what Adilyn had been dreaming of the night before. Jessica had found her eyes drawn to Adilyn's calm face, hypnotised by her breathing. When Adilyn first woke up, Jessica had been lost in the book she had chosen. It was one she had heard of but her father never encouraged her to read anything but the Bible. Jessica found it fascinating, though she wished there was some kind of drug she could use to split her vampire side away from what little humanity she had left. But she had to live with it. In a manner of speaking.

After Adilyn had gone back to sleep, Jessica had spent maybe an hour or so wondering if the young faery was a little insane, to not only allow but _request_ Jessica stay with her, even after what she had nearly done again. With her nose buried in her book, she remembered losing herself to the story until a strange, low moan was drawn from Adilyn's lips. Jessica elected to ignore it – the girl was dreaming. But over the course of a few minutes, her moans and gasps became more frequent to the point that Jessica could not pretend she couldn't hear it. She sat up, wondering if she should wake the girl – it would be embarrassing for her if she knew Jessica had heard her. A ripple of envy ran through her as she realised Adilyn was probably dreaming of Wade, and she decided she didn't want to hear any more. But as she crawled further up the bed to shake her awake, she heard a sound so sultry, so gloriously lustful that she froze in place.

"_Jessica_," Adilyn had breathed, barely a whisper, but Jessica heard it loud and clear. Jessica was so shocked she couldn't move, one hand stretched out in front of her, her knees pressing into the duvet. Her other hand held her weight, her nails digging into the covers. A click sounded as her fangs dropped as Adilyn moaned again, shifting her position. Unsure of what the hell to do, with coherent thoughts only just now forming in her mind after her little brain-freeze due to her shock, she suddenly heard footsteps stomping up the stairs – she had been unaware of anything other than Adilyn for several minutes. Before she could work out an appropriate course of action, Andy had sprinted inside and jammed a gun in her face. Admittedly, it did look pretty bad – Jessica poised like a prowling animal, ready to crawl all over a sleeping Adilyn with her fangs out. However, as she scrambled away, she had managed to retract her fangs and keep herself calm. Adilyn had seemed pretty confused too when she woke up, but had readily jumped to her defence. Jessica appreciated it, but it only made things worse. She didn't want to cause any more hassle than necessary. She would have left that morning before sunrise if Adilyn hadn't wanted her to stay.

Yawning quietly, she snuggled deeper into the nest of blankets and pillows and let sleep take her, dulling her mind to all distractions and leading her into blissful darkness.

* * *

Staring out of the window at the sun drenched lawn, Adilyn felt a strange restlessness inside of her. It had been growing ever since she had frozen Jessica with that strange light. Her hands hadn't lit up again, and she seemed to have no control over it. She had learned this after several hours of willing the lights back onto her hands before she gave up. Even feigning fear didn't really work, only sending a faint tingle across her skin. Now as she sat curled up next to her window, she found a strange need to be outside. To just walk around, feel the grass beneath her feet and the wind whipping through her hair. It was a strange compulsion that she had never had before. But she was confined to the house for the time being. The heat from the sun danced across her skin, the gentle warmth wrapping her in the safety of daylight. Sighing longingly at the world outside her prison, she was about to turn back to her book when a figure strode across the lawn towards the house. Closing the book, she pressed her fingers to the glass and stared down to see a teenage boy strolling up to the porch. Not wanting Andy to be woken up and shout at her again, she raced across the room and threw open the bedroom door. Darting down the stairs as quietly as possible, she managed to hurl open the door just as Wade was about to ring the doorbell.

"Don't!" she hissed with a grin as Wade stepped back in surprise. Adilyn glanced back at the living room door – if she seized this opportunity to leave the house for a few hours, Andy would be furious. But then again, if she was only gone for a little while, he wouldn't need to know. This strange longing for nature and life that grew within her urged Adilyn to take the chance to get out. Andy had said she shouldn't leave _alone_. And all she wanted to do was walk around the area surrounding her home. Biting her lip, she made her decision.

"Adilyn! Uhm.." Wade rubbed the back of his neck as Adilyn quietly closed the door and faced him with a bright smile. "Hi."

"Hi," replied Adilyn, shoving her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. "What're you doin' here?" she asked, wandering slowly towards the lawn. Wade hastened to her side, striding alongside her.

"I came to see if you… well… if you wanted to hang out for a bit," he said with a sheepish smile.

"Sure. Only I can't go far," warned Adilyn. She wasn't going to do something stupid. She just wanted to be out of the house for a while.

"Yeah. Might be best if you avoid town for a while, after what happened," agreed Wade. Adilyn gazed at him, appraising his casual jeans and a red plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. She hadn't put much thought into her attire that morning, since she guessed she'd be in her own company all day – just blue jeans and a white T-shirt. "Hey, ain't you gonna put shoes on?" asked Wade, looking confused as he looked down at her feet.

"Nah," replied Adilyn with a shrug. It hadn't actually occurred to her as she left, though she was enjoying the feel of the warm, grass and dry, slightly cracked earth beneath her feet. "I like it" she said simply, a carefree smile gracing her face. Wade just grinned and continued across the lawn.

"So you got home alright?" asked Wade after a brief silence. "That… that vampire didn't…"

"No!" said Adilyn quickly. "She's a... a friend."

"You're_ friends_ with one of them?" he asked, sounding politely surprised. "I mean, not that that's bad… but, with your… uhm… with what happened..." Adilyn suppressed a laugh as he stumbled over his words. Wade's voice tailed away with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Jessica's not _just_ a vampire," she said. "She's… she's nice."

"That's cool, I guess," mused Wade with a nod.

"So how're you?" asked Adilyn, trying to keep the conversation going. In the middle of the lawn, they paced towards the path at the far end of the stretch of grass that ran around the house and one fork led towards town. "I'm sorry we had to leave you like that."

"It's fine. Andy calmed everyone down. A couple of infected vamps went around town but the vampires protected people, so nobody died. As far as I know."

"How's Rocky?"

"He's good. We holed up at the bar for most of the night, after I was free. He's feelin' pretty sorry for himself right now." Adilyn noted the change in his voice. Squinting a little in the sunlight, she looked at Wade, narrowing her eyes slightly as she let her power blossom in her head.

… _God damn, idiot, Rocky. I swear I could punch him in the face for turnin' on us…_

Adilyn caught herself and shook her head a little, breaking the connection and returning to the conversation. Wade was looking at her oddly.

"You alright?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Fine," replied Adilyn brightly. "Just fine."

The pair reached the end of the lawn and Wade stepped up to the wooden fence, bending his knees slightly and clasping his hands together for Adilyn to step up on.

"Why thank you," smiled Adilyn. "But my feet are a mess. I can manage," she assured him as she approached the metre-and-a-half tall fence and pressed one foot to the flat wooden surface. Kicking up her other foot, she pushed herself up and clambered over – a little ungracefully – but still managed. Wade climbed over after her and together, they pushed their way through the short stretch of thick bushes and trees. Adilyn's hair got caught in a low hanging branch for a moment, but she freed herself easily.

Once they were through the greenery, the dirt path led off to their left - towards the town - and their right, further into the woods. Opting for the right path, Adilyn and Wade wandered along, rubbing their arms and faces where they had been whipped or grazed with branches and weeds. Adilyn didn't care – she found the odd restlessness inside her had been sated. The secluded path was lined with tall trees where birds sang and the sun filtered in through the emerald leaves overhead. Insects hummed in the background. The scent of warm earth filled her nostrils as the shaded ground cooled her feet. She felt calm, relaxed. At peace, almost. Feeling the dust and soft dirt between her toes, she could honestly stay out for hours, just wandering around. The other times she had been out in town, she hadn't felt like this. She was consumed with learning about people and the town, and working out how everything functioned. But now, out here, it's like she knew everything. Nothing had to be explained, she was just at home. Maybe it was her faery side coming out, she mused. It would make sense if she was getting stronger.

"Hey," said Wade, drawing Adilyn's attention to him. "You got a thing in your hair," he said. Adilyn's hand shot to her head, running through her brunette locks in search of the offending object. When she couldn't find it, Wade laughed and placed a hand on Adilyn's arm, halting her in her tracks. He reached over and picked a tiny green leaf from just above Adilyn's temple. As he did so, their eyes locked, and they lapsed into a tense silence, just staring at each other.

"Remember when we were in the cell?" whispered Wade, not tearing his eyes from Adilyn, who nodded slightly. "You said we… uh," he paused, grinning sheepishly. "We… uhm..."

"Made out?" suggested Adilyn with a small smile.

"Yeah," chuckled Wade in relief. He rubbed his arm nervously. "Uhm… would you wanna… maybe…?" Adilyn didn't wait for him to finish. She reached forwards and gripped Wade's collar gently, standing in her tip-toes as she leaned up and captured Wade's bottom lip between her own.

* * *

Jessica's eyes snapped open as a wave of emotion rippled through her. Looking blearily around the attic, she saw a thin shaft of sunlight creeping in under the door. It was still afternoon, by her guess. There was nothing she could do to help her for the next few hours. But it didn't feel like Adilyn was in trouble. It actually felt like quite the opposite. Not really wanting to consider what was happening to Adilyn, she settled down again and closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep. She'd ask Adilyn about it later.

* * *

Adilyn pulled back from Wade after a few seconds. Wade was grinning in his boyish way, and leaned in for another kiss. But Adilyn suddenly stepped back. This wasn't like last time, when she was a slightly more naïve and new to this world. She had a little more knowledge, a little more wisdom now after everything that had happened. And this didn't feel the same. Before, it was new, and exciting. Wade was lovely and nice to her, but… she felt less of a spark than she did last time. There was still something there, but… not enough. Adilyn pulled back, completely confused.

"Is everythin' alright?" asked Wade softly, concern crossing his features.

"Yeah," replied Adilyn, taking another step back and running a hand through her hair with a nervous laugh. "I just…" She could think of nothing to say. She didn't know what to think, what to say. Everything she used to know was different now. Since the infected vampires attacked, since she'd gotten to know Jessica, since she drank her blood –

"Did I do somethin' wrong?" inquired Wade worriedly. Adilyn's head snapped up. She needed time to work this out, to let the blood wear off so she could think clearly.

"No, no, course not!" said Adilyn quickly. "I just need time. I'm sorry, I gotta go." With that, Adilyn turned and ran back along the path, throwing up small dust flurries behind her on the earthy road, leaving Wade standing in a golden shaft of sunlight, looking bemused. Her hair billowed out behind her as she sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her back to the fence. Four minutes of intense running that she did not know she was capable of led her to the tiny gap in the trees and bushes that led to the fence. Crashing through the bushes, she stumbled on a loose root and battered her foot off of a spine-ridden weed while her elbow slammed into a tree, cutting a wide graze on her elbow and down her forearm.

"Holy motherfucking shit fuck!" she cursed, aware that if her father heard her, she'd be scolded to within an inch of her life. Wincing, she half-limped over to the fence, her right foot stinging in pain, her left arm throbbing. Pulling herself over the fence clumsily, she staggered back to the house, jogging carefully over the lawn. The shock of her injuries raced through her worse than the pain did, but it soon subsided as she reached the porch and let herself in silently.

* * *

Jessica jolted awake again, feeling pain shoot through her arm and foot. With a small cry, she clutched her limbs, not used to being awoken in such a strange manner.

"What the fuck…?" she muttered darkly as she looked around. Still daylight. She was pretty sure she had literally just gotten to sleep for a few minutes before she was up again. Whatever Adilyn was doing, Jessica whole-heartedly hoped she would stop soon so she could sleep. Getting the bleeds would not endear her to Andy at all. For a few minutes, she lay on the blankets, listening to the sounds in the house. There was a snuffling, grunting sound from the living room, along with quiet chatter from the TV. That must be Andy, she thought. Adilyn was a quiet sleeper, most of the time. But even so, Jessica could usually hear her soft breathing. It was missing today. This concerned her – if Adilyn got in trouble in town _again_, she'd have to wait until nightfall to help her. The phantom pain was fading quickly though, and Jessica couldn't feel any fear. A little anger and the slightest hint of embarrassment maybe – it wasn't strong enough to be sure – but Adilyn seemed okay. Jessica crawled over to the door, wondering what the hell Adilyn was actually doing. Finally, she heard what she guessed was the front door open quietly and shut again, and gentle, careful footsteps creeping across the hall to the stairs. Jessica tilted her head, listening for Andy's reactions. Thankfully, he was still asleep as the fourth stair creaked loudly.

"Aw, fuck!" Adilyn hissed quietly from the stairs. Jessica smirked at the girl's irritated tone and waited until she had slowly sneaked up to the landing. The honeyed smell that accompanied Adilyn everywhere she went was slightly stronger than normal.

"Adilyn!" Jessica called quietly, pressing her forehead to the wood as she curled her legs beneath her. She really needed to change her dress, she thought with a grimace. Outside the door, Adilyn hurried up the stairs and stopped on the other side of the door, unsure of whether to come in or not.

"Why are you awake?" Adilyn's voice was low and measured.

"I was woken up. What the hell were you doin'? Where the fuck did you go?" asked Jessica, her voice rising slightly. She heard Adilyn curse again and a scrabbling sound, before the door was thrown open. It struck the vampire without warning, the wooden panel hitting her right in the head and knocking her backwards. As light poured in, Jessica darted back to the far side of the attic, clutching her forehead in pain and closing her eyes until she heard the door shut with a snap.

"Fuck!" she swore, doubling over for a moment and clutching her right hand to her head.

"I am so sorry!" gasped Adilyn. She crossed the attic in four semi-limped strides, reaching out to Jessica with her uninjured hand, but Jessica suddenly knocked it away, throwing herself back into the far wall. Adilyn heard the clicking noise of Jessica's fangs emerging and her blood ran cold.

"You're bleeding!" cried Jessica, her voice strangled from a mixture of hunger, fear and concern. "Are –" she swallowed hard, trying to resist. She even tried holding her breath so she couldn't smell it. It wasn't like she had to breathe anyway. "Are you okay?"

"Oh my God," said Adilyn, frozen to the spot as she bit her lip worriedly. She then ceased – if her lip bled too, that wouldn't make matters any better. She wanted to run away and hide. It would probably be a good idea, but something held her in place. "Should I – should I leave?" she asked shakily.

"Probably." The vampire took a deep breath, imagining that first man she ever drained, how he smelled to her heightened senses, that horrible grimace on his dead face. It helped a little. More brutal images raced across her mind, and she began to be able to just think clearly enough to make a plan. She needed to stop that bleeding. Adilyn wouldn't rescind her invitation and Jessica wouldn't trust that her weird powers would save her again. "How bad is it? I think… once the bleeding stops, I can…" Jessica's fist clenched on a wooden beam, the wood creaking beneath her grip as her nails carved deep gauges. "I can control myself."

"Okay. How can I –" started Adilyn, but tailed off when Jessica bit into her own arm and held it out to Adilyn, keeping her face hidden in shadows, facing away from the faery. "Oh."

"Drink," said Jessica urgently, concentrating fiercely on counting the number of lines in the wooden beam in front of her.

"But –" started Adilyn. This ruined her plan for waiting until the blood wore off.

"Do it!" growled Jessica, a hint of some deep, terrifying darkness creeping into her tone. It startled Adilyn into action, and she stumbled forwards, catching Jessica's arm and blindly pressing her lips to the two fangs marks. In the darkness, it took her several tries to find the correct spot, but once she found a small stream of blood, she followed it up to the wound. Blood tickled her chin as it dripped around her mouth. The cool liquid washed over her tongue and she sucked at Jessica's flesh, tearing a reluctant moan from Jessica's lips. Catching herself, Jessica cursed quietly and waited until Adilyn drank a decent amount to heal her wounds. Jessica noted the smell of fresh blood had faded a little, though it still clung to the air faintly. Finally facing the faery, Jessica gently took hold of Adilyn's chin and pried her head away. Adilyn's eyes opened, staring up through warm, dark chocolate eyes into icy, bright blue.

* * *

A string of jumbled words and feelings coursed through Adilyn's mind, Jessica's voice flickering in and out of her head like a badly tuned radio. She could taste the tang of blood on her lips, a red rivulet dripping slowly from the corners of her mouth. Jessica's teeth ran over her bottom lip. Adilyn watched the subtle movement, transfixed in the semi-darkness. Adilyn swallowed, feeling some of the last remnants of Jessica's blood sliding down her throat. Jessica leaned slowly closer, her fangs still protruding, sharp and deadly. Adilyn felt her breath falter as Jessica's tongue crept out, carefully swiping the drop of blood away, her tongue brushing the edge of her lips. Adilyn's eyes drifted shut, a small gasp escaping from her. Jessica pulled back slowly, searching Adilyn's face for any sign of fear or worry. Adilyn's hand slipped onto Jessica's wrist. The vampire's eyes widened as Adilyn's usually warm touch growing unnaturally cold. The voice in Adilyn's head grew clearer.

"_Are you doin' it_?" asked Jessica without moving her lips, a mixture of apprehension and scepticism etched on her face.

"_Yeah_," replied Adilyn, just like when she and Sookie had had that tiny conversation in their heads. It seemed like an eternity ago now. "_You want me to stop_?"

"_No… it's okay, I guess_." Jessica smiled as she thought it, feeling much calmer. "_How're you doin' this_?"

"_I don't know. But it seems to be just when I touch you_."

"_Well, I…" _Jessica's thoughts became muddled for a second as the vampire frowned. Adilyn could feel the frown more than see it. "_God fuckin' damn it, why the hell did I _lick_ her? That's fuckin' gross…"_

Adilyn giggled as she let go of Jessica's wrist, hearing the voice fading away.

"I don't think it's gross, you… you just like blood."

"You heard that?" grimaced Jessica, shadows playing across her face. "What…" Jessica paused. "What else did you hear?" she asked, her tone just ever so slightly too casual.

"Nothin'," replied Adilyn honestly.

"Good," sighed Jessica in relief, before slamming the palm of her hand into her face. "Not good, but… just –"

"I know what you mean. You all good now?" asked Adilyn with a serious edge. Jessica nodded solemnly, understanding the underlying meaning of the question.

"I'm good. Now…" Jessica stood up straight, towering over the faery standing barely a foot from her. "You wanna tell me how you hurt yourself?" Adilyn gulped as Jessica placed her hands on her hips and glared down at her with a stern expression.

"I… I needed to be outside," answered Adilyn truthfully. Jessica's head tilted, changing from serious to curious. "And Daddy said I couldn't go out _alone_…" Adilyn's eyes flickered up to Jessica's before she continued her story. She could barely see any of her features in the crushing darkness, but the light from the bottom of the door provided just enough for her to get a good idea. "Wade came by and I took the chance to get out and walk about."

"Oh," said Jessica, surprised. "_Oh_," she repeated, now realising what that rush of emotion was the first time she woke up. "Did you and he… do… somethin'?" she asked slowly and carefully.

"We just… kinda… kissed a little. Nothin' much," shrugged Adilyn, contemplating the next few weeks of confusion now she had drank more of Jessica's blood.

"I see," replied Jessica shortly. She caught the slightly surprised look on Adilyn's face and realised her tone was more bitter than she realised. Automatically, she placed a hand on Adilyn's arm. "Sorry. I just… I'm tired and all grumpy and everythin'. James and I haven't really spoken much, since I've been here all the time – not that that's your fault!" she added quickly. "But, I don't know," she sighed, slumping down onto the ground.

* * *

Adilyn stood for a moment before settling down beside Jessica, placing her newly healed left arm on the flesh of Jessica's knee, where her dress was hitched up a little as she curled her legs beneath her.

"I think James is an idiot if he's crazy enough to let you go," she said quietly. Jessica huffed a light laugh before covering Adilyn's hand with her own.

"_Liar_," thought Jessica loudly, or what she hoped was loud enough to catch Adilyn's attention.

"_I ain't_," replied Adilyn, trying to concentrate on only what Jessica wanted her to hear. "_I'll leave you to sleep." _Adilyn stood, wondering if she could sneak out onto the lawn again to run a few laps – the vampire blood was making her hyper. She let out a small cry of fright as Jessica blurred to her feet at Adilyn's side.

"Sorry," said Jessica, staring at the floor.

"Stop apologisin', I'm just jumpy," said Adilyn. Jessica grinned sheepishly before opening her arms slowly, a hesitant expression on her face.

"If… you want," she murmured, already half closing her arms in defeat. Adilyn stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around Jessica's waist and across her back, her fingers pressing firmly against the vampire's ribs. Jessica tensed momentarily, but then reciprocated, resting her chin on Adilyn's shoulder, inhaling the beautifully sweet scent that seemed to suit Adilyn perfectly. They remained that way for around ten seconds, before Adilyn looked up at Jessica, pulling away enough to see Jessica's face clearly. Her fingers lingered on Jessica's flesh, feeling the warmth sink into cold skin.

"Thank you for healin' me."

"Any time," replied Jessica.


	5. Chapter 5

I decided to put this chapter up a little earlier than I intended. I'll regret saying this in a few days, but I'm trying to get a chapter done in three days at most. Probably less. Ignore the mistakes, drop a review, usual stuff. Thanks again.

* * *

Choosing to use the rest of her afternoon constructively, Adilyn decided to 'borrow' Andy's laptop while he slept to research faery lore. She sat in her bedroom with her back leaning against her pillows, her legs stretched out in front of her with the laptop propped up on her thighs. A few books of mythical creatures and folklore lay strewn across her bed, and a writing pad rested on the covers next to her hand. A pen was tucked safely behind her right ear as she typed away, searching the Internet for clues to her heritage. A lot of the information she uncovered was related to Celtic lore, and most of the facts seemed to fit with her own vague understanding of the world. Of course, since these stories were very old and mostly passed on by word-of-mouth, the details varied from account to account, but there were common threads running through each of them. Faeries were commonly regarded by humans as a species, sometimes a race, of supernatural creatures with an… interesting sense of humour, questionable morals and values and a penchant for mischief. They were usually described as hauntingly beautiful creatures with pointed ears and sharp faces, with a whole range of powers. They didn't seem all that nice, thought Adilyn, as most of them liked to toy with humans, lead them astray at the very least. Although, that could just be made up, she mused as she scored out another note she had just made, rewriting it in an untidy scrawl. Writing had come to her easily, like reading, though her penmanship left a lot to be desired. Still, the more she practised, the better she got. The pen felt foreign in her hand, though her brain seemed to know the symbols to write down. At least her notes were legible now.

"Adilyn!" called Andy from downstairs, ripping through the music she was playing quietly in the background. Tossing the notepad back down, she glanced over at the clock on the laptop. Nearly half eight in the evening. The sun was nearly setting in the sky, dusk approaching like a wave of navy across a pale orange sky. The nearly full moon glinted at her, a large, silvery orb that hung in the sky, watching over her. She was transfixed for a brief moment by the sheer beauty and stillness of the sight, staring through the glass forlornly. Her hand reached out of her own accord, taking several slow steps to the window and pressing gently against the cool surface, as if she could reach straight through and pluck the moon from the inky darkness. Andy hollered at her again, breaking the calm that had settled over her and prompting her into action. Stretching her arms and legs, she switched off the music and left her room, ambling down the stairs to see her father standing in the hallway; gun on his hip and uniform on. She paused at the bottom, hanging onto the bannister on the bottom step. "I'm goin' out to look for Holly. Me an' a few others are teamin' up with a few vamps to search. You stay in here, and don't go out for _anything_," he warned sternly. "And don't let Jessica –"

"I know, I know," sighed Adilyn. She had been through this speech enough times to have it completely memorised. "Don't worry about me, I'll just stay in my room and sleep after I make some food."

"Good." Andy turned to leave, but paused for a moment. Adilyn watched him with a curious expression that soon turned to confusion when Andy spun and trudged up to her. Arms wrapped around her in a massive bear-hug as Andy held her close for a few seconds. He pulled back, pressing a kiss onto the top of her head before he left, slamming the door behind him. Adilyn sighed and headed into the kitchen, wondering what she could scrounge for dinner. Aiming straight for the fridge, she pulled it open, revealing nothing but disappointment. Andy had cleaned it out. Holly usually did the shopping, Adilyn thought sadly as she closed it over again. She sank into one of the seats around the kitchen table and let her head fall into her hands, a small sniff escaping from her. She didn't bother to fight the tears, there was no point. Holly was missing, God knows what had happened to her. And now her father, her last relation in this world, was going after her. He could get himself killed. A tear formed in her left eye, blurring her vision until it dropped down the side of her face, sliding to a halt at her chin. Instantly, she heard a very faint rustling by the kitchen door. Adilyn couldn't suppress a small smile as she realised Jessica would always know if she was upset, or angry. Some might find that intrusive, but Adilyn found it comforting. Somebody would always be there for her. That made her feel safe in a world where she had barely an idea of how things worked. She was a fast learner, but her lack of general knowledge left her in the dark about most things. She didn't understand most jokes, and people talked about places she had never heard of. She had a better grasp on technology than her father did though. The Internet had gone far in sating her thirst for knowledge. Having all that information at her fingertips pleased her immensely. Some nights, she stayed up until the early hours of the morning looking up all the things she had noted down – either on paper or in her head – throughout the day that she didn't understand. But the Web only took her so far. Holly was the person she went to if she needed to clarify things. Without Jessica, and this strange bond between them, Adilyn would feel completely helpless and alone.

* * *

Jessica leaned against the doorway, not wanting to approach Adilyn if she didn't want to talk. It was absurd, really. She had an invitation to the house that Adilyn was not going to rescind any time soon, even if it would be sensible if she did. If Adilyn wanted to send her away, she could. Easily. But she didn't really know what to do.

"Adilyn?" asked Jessica hesitantly. Adilyn didn't respond. Jessica could see her back shaking with barely repressed sobs. "What's wrong?" she enquired quietly, stepping forwards and brushing her hand gently over Adilyn's shoulder. Adilyn turned away from her as Jessica slid gracefully to the floor, crouching down by next to Adilyn's seat and placing a hand on the girl's knee.

"It's… it's nothin'," sniffed Adilyn, covering her face with her hand as she avoided Jessica's eye. Taking a bold step, Jessica reached forwards and firmly lowered Adilyn's hands to reveal her tear-stained but still pretty face. Jessica smiled warmly as she cradled Adilyn's face, running her thumbs over her face to wipe away her tears. "I miss Holly. And I'm scared. For Daddy, for Holly. Just… everything."

"I know. It's perfectly normal," soothed Jessica, her voice nearly a whisper. Adilyn nodded, running the back of her hand over her cheek and sniffing again. She was startled as Jessica's hand left her face for a split second, her beautiful face disappearing into a blur before reappearing before her, holding out a tissue. Adilyn chuckled, causing Jessica's grin to return. "I'm scared too," she admitted as Adilyn mopped herself up.

"Really?" asked Adilyn, sounding surprised in her choked voice. "But… you're a vampire."

"Vampires get scared too," smiled Jessica. "I certainly don't wanna get Hep V and die the True Death. I think sometimes people forget that we ain't indestructible."

Adilyn nodded with a small laugh, running her hands over her face and letting out a shaky breath. A sudden groaning from Adilyn's stomach broke the calm moment. Jessica stifled a chortle as Adilyn placed a hand on her abdomen, a blush rising to her cheeks.

"Sorry. I ain't eaten for ages."

"Me neither," replied Jessica before realising what she had said, clapping a hand over her mouth. Adilyn laughed, again, the sound stronger and more cheerful this time. Jessica lowered her hand sheepishly.

"The fridge is empty though," sighed Adilyn, pushing her chair back and rising to her feet to scour the cupboards for more food. She stepped around Jessica, who slid onto her newly vacated seat. She sometimes missed how she remembered food; the taste, the smell, the feeling of physically eating something, instead of just drinking. It was repulsive now though. All dead and decaying. She was used to blood, and didn't dwell on things such as that for very long. Adilyn returned to the table empty-handed, slumping down moodily.

"Nothing?" asked Jessica. Adilyn shook her head. "I can go get somethin'. I need to go and change anyway. This thing really needs a wash," she said, picking at a stain in her dress. "I can pick something up for you, if you want."

"Really?" asked Adilyn. Jessica nodded, but she frowned at the slight hint of fear in Adilyn's voice. "But… what if a vampire comes by?" Jessica understood her concern, but she wasn't about to let Adilyn go hungry.

"I'll be quick. Just stay away from the doors and windows. If you hear somethin', just ignore it. And if something does happen, don't think twice about using that light thing you used on me."

"Okay." Adilyn still looked apprehensive, but Jessica got up and leaned across the table, placing a hand on her forearm.

"I'll be ten minutes," she promised, before blurring away.

* * *

Adilyn heard the front door open and close again with twin snaps. Then she was alone. The room seemed somehow smaller, the walls closing in on her. She was so used to the security of having Jessica in the house over the past few days, even if she was just sleeping upstairs. Adilyn gathered her knees up to her chest and crossed her arms over, curled in her seat. _This is ridiculous_, she thought, shaking off her fear. She could last a few minutes alone, surely. Resting her head on her knees, she let her thoughts wander aimlessly, though they kept returning to the same thing: Jessica Hamby. The vampire's blood still resided in her system, coursing through her body and twisting her mind. Her dreams replayed themselves in her head, making her skin tingle. She longed for Jessica's chilling touch against her flesh. Of course, this was the blood. Just the blood. It had to be. Though Adilyn wasn't entirely sure of it at all, it was easier to put all her confusion down to blood. And any attraction she witnessed from Jessica was simply because of how sweet her own blood tasted. Not that she had seen anything of that sort, but she couldn't suppress the glimmer of hope that rose within her sometimes when Jessica looked at her. Of what they could be. But it would never work, Adilyn knew that. They were opposites; a creature of light and one of day. Their worlds could touch but never cross over – it was too dangerous. When they collided, sparks flew. She was like a drug to Jessica, and in a way, her penance. She forced herself to be around the most additive thing in a hundred mile radius, and to repress her lust for blood to keep Adilyn from harm, to serve out her duty to her, to Andy. Adilyn knew all of this, and felt sympathy for the vampire she once feared. Now she could defend herself, with this newly awakened power. A small noise from outside made her jump, but she didn't investigate – though her curiosity was aching to see what it was. A shiver ran up her back and her heart began beating rapidly. What if it was another vampire? Jessica couldn't be back already, could she? Glancing at the clock, she realised that she had been lost in thought for about seven minutes, listening to the persistent chirping of the crickets outside. Another noise, closer to the house this time, made her jump to her feet, her palms tingling. Looking down, she was relieved to see the light was back, pulsing slightly in time with her heart. Instead of purple though, it was a gleaming white colour. At the edges of the spheres, the light refracted, shimmering through the spectrum from scarlet through to violet. Another noise and a snap made Adilyn spin, raising her hands. The light danced brighter, almost painful to look at as the kitchen door swung open. A dark blur burst into the room, materialising into a solid form across the table from Adilyn.

"Wow! It's just me!" said a wonderfully familiar voice. Adilyn cursed loudly, her blood pounding in her ears. Jessica dropped the bag of shopping at her feet and raised her hands above her head. Adilyn let out the breath she'd been holding, lowering her hands and growling in frustration.

"Can't you just walk into a room?" asked Adilyn, running a hand through her hair as her breathing slowed, the lights on her hands dimming. Jessica sniggered, picking up the bag and dumping it onto the table.

"We like a big entrance," she replied, watching as Adilyn leaned against the back of her chair, calming herself down. Adilyn could feel Jessica's eyes on her and straightened up again.

"Drama queens," commented Adilyn with a grin. Jessica stood before her in a pair of black jeans and a red plaid shirt with the top few buttons undone, revealing a blue tank top underneath. "What did you get me?"

"Oh, right," said Jessica, returning her attention to the bag. "Now, I ain't eaten food for a long while." Jessica pulled a few objects from the plastic bag, glancing up at Adilyn through her eyelashes. "It's lost its appeal, but this is stuff should be okay, I think. I got you basic stuff mostly. I'm not sure what you like. There was a ton of stuff in that shop I used to just love, but I had to sneak it into the house. My parents…" Jessica paused, eyes returning to her work. "Well… they were… strict." Adilyn could sense there was some bad memories there, but she couldn't resist asking.

"Do you… still… uhm… see them?" Watching Jessica carefully, she gauged the vampire's reaction, observing the hitch in her breathing, the ever so slight frown that crossed her face before she replaced it with a smile. The ever-so-subtle shifting of her blue eyes away from Adilyn's gaze.

"Once," replied Jessica. "It didn't end well. I was a baby vampire. Still am, really, but my impulse control was much worse." She placed a hand on her hip, scuffing her Converse off of the floor nervously. Adilyn waited patiently for Jessica to continue, but she wasn't going to push the issue. "My daddy wasn't exactly happy to see me back. My mom and sister were though," she said, a small yet sad smile blossoming on her face. "They probably thought I'd run away or somethin'. Shit happened and Bill had to glamour them to forget." Adilyn regretted asking as Jessica sniffed a little. "Still think about them sometimes. But seein' them isn't the best idea. 'Sides, Bill's my family now. He treats me way better than they did."

"I'm sorry I asked. I didn't –"

"It's okay," said Jessica, waving away her concern. "But you better eat, I ain't havin' you collapsin' on my watch." Adilyn smiled and searched through the assorted objects on the table; a small bag of flour, sugar, eggs, milk, a half-loaf of bread and butter, along with some tomatoes, bacon and an apple. "If there's somethin' I've missed, I can go back –" she offered.

"Don't be stupid. This is perfect." Picking up the bacon, she crossed to the stove and turned it on, setting some rashers to fry.

"Want me to put these away?" asked Jessica, gesturing to the rest of the items on the table.

"I'll get them, don't you worry 'bout it," said Adilyn with a smile as she returned to the table and picked up the ingredients for pancakes. Holly had taught her how to cook for herself, and she hadn't eaten pancakes for a while now.

"Please," pouted Jessica. "I feel kinda useless just standin' here." Spooning flour into a bowl, Adilyn turned back to the vampire and gave her an exasperated look.

"Fine." Jessica beamed and proceeded to blur around the kitchen, finding the correct place to put things in a matter of seconds.

"Handy," commented Adilyn when Jessica became clearly visible at the table again. "Handy Hamby," she added with a laugh. "God, that sounds weird, sorry," she grimaced, realising what the possible connotations of her words were. Jessica giggled, crossing to the stove and reaching around Adilyn, picking up the milk carton and the eggs that Adilyn had left after use and returned them to the fridge.

"Get your mind outta the gutter!" laughed Jessica, closing the fridge. "Where'd you pick up a sense of humour like that, you're like…" Jessica paused, working out her age. "I don't know, like a few weeks old?"

"Technically, yes," admitted Adilyn. "But I pick things up quickly. Hearin' people's thoughts has its benefits sometimes. Though half of what I hear is just fucked up."

"That must suck. Though you must have the juiciest gossip in town, though," grinned Jessica, returning to Adilyn and hopping up onto the counter as Adilyn mixed up the pancakes next to the pan of bacon. Adilyn rolled her eyes, smiling.

"If I paid enough attention, then I'm sure I would. But I ain't been around people without nearly bein' killed gettin' in the way. Makes it hard to concentrate." Her eyes rose to Jessica as she poured some batter onto the pan. The vampire was swinging her legs back and forth happily as she perched on the counter, content to watch Adilyn cook. It occurred to the faery that maybe she should talk to Jessica about her confused feelings – Jessica must get it all the time from humans, she'd know how to deal with it. Swallowing her sudden anxiety at delving into this particular issue, she opened her mouth, eyes resting on Jessica's.

"Mother_fucker_," she cried, her attention snapping back to the pan and hissing in pain as her hand brushed the heated metal. Dropping the spatula, she stepped back, cradling her hand and pursing her lips, suppressing a string of curses. Her hand stung as she shook it out and stared at the damage. It wasn't bad, just a small burn on the heel of her right hand. Jessica appeared in front of her, looking deeply concerned and took her hand in her wonderfully cool fingers and lightly traced the burn.

"I can heal it for you –" started Jessica, raising her thumb to her mouth, her fangs appearing.

"No!" said Adilyn a little too quickly. If she kept taking blood, she'd never work out if she was confused by blood, or by something else. Jessica lowered her hand, an almost hurt look on her face. "I've taken so much of it already, I couldn't take more. And you're already hungry. I don't want to make it worse." Adilyn could have kicked herself after working out how that last sentence sounded. "Not that I'm scared of you," she babbled. "But if you're hungry, then I took more of your blood, that wouldn't be fair. I mean, you brought me food, and I can't go out an' bring you a whole person. I mean, I would if I could, but that's probably assault and I've already been in those cells, I don't wanna go back –"

Thankfully, Jessica found Adilyn's little ramble amusing, not insulting, and burst out laughing, her fangs ascending. Adilyn sighed in relief, rubbing her forehead as Jessica dropped into a chair, still giggling away. Adilyn hurried over to the tap and ran her burn under the cold tap until it cooled down a little and then flipped her pancakes.

"You're fuckin' adorable!" exclaimed Jessica, finally able to string a sentence together. Adilyn turned around and bit her lip, suppressing a grin. Blood was dripping from Jessica's eyes; she had been laughing that hard.

"Shut up!" A faint blush rose to her cheeks. "You have… blood..." Adilyn gestured to her own eyes. Jessica quirked an eyebrow before she realised.

"Oh God!" she cried, dabbing at her cheeks to wipe away the blood. Adilyn tore off a bit of kitchen roll and leaned over the table, offering it to Jessica. "Thanks." Jessica wiped the crimson tears away and scrubbed at her face, making sure all of the red was gone.

"No problem," replied Adilyn, switching off the stove and plating up her food. She sat opposite Jessica and tucked in. She caught Jessica watching her as she ungracefully shovelled food into her mouth – she was really hungry. "Does watchin' people eat freak you out as much as watchin' vampires feed freaks humans out?"

"It doesn't freak me out that much. It's kinda weird though." Adilyn shrugged and kept eating while Jessica patiently watched.

"How'd you pay for this?" asked Adilyn suddenly. "Do vampires get credit cards and all that?" She held a hand over her mouth as she chewed, attempting to be polite.

"I ain't got one," replied Jessica. "Bill thinks I'll spend it all on pointless stuff. I have a bit of money lyin' around, but it's not like I'm rich. Bill is, but I only get a tiny amount." Jessica realised she had been pondering aloud. "Unless he dies," she added. Adilyn looked up at her, the fork freezing in mid-air on the way back to her plate. Jessica quickly rapped on the wood three times to counter what she had just said. "'Course I don't want him to."

"So I'm eatin' stolen food?" asked Adilyn, searching for clarification.

"Is that a problem?" Jessica's eyebrows rose, suggesting a challenge.

"Not really."

"Then yes. I'm such a catch," she laughed, bitterness creeping into her tone. Adilyn saw the mischievous twinkling of her bright eyes fading. Adilyn's soul mourned the loss as Jessica's face fell, though she still sported an attempt at a smile for Adilyn's sake.

"I think anyone would be real lucky to love someone like you," said Adilyn quietly, looking up from her food.

"You think?" Jessica wore a mask of indifference, but her voice betrayed a note of hope. She was truly touched by such kind and genuine words - she knew Adilyn wasn't just trying to feel better. She could feel it.

"Well thanks," nodded Jessica, unable to say anything else. Adilyn grinned and went back to eating. Neither of them spoke, the comfortable silence broken only by the sound of Adilyn chewing and the crickets outside, until a knock at the door broke the calm spell that had fallen over them.


	6. Chapter 6

Just a quick thing to say the usual; mistakes and so on. I'll try to keep my updates quite close together. Thanks for all the support and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Adilyn looked up at Jessica, who had tensed suddenly. Swallowing her mouthful of food, she got to her feet. "I'll get it," she said before Jessica could stand up. Jessica opened her mouth to argue. "If I need you, you'll just be a room away." Jessica narrowed her eyes. "Jessica," warned Adilyn. The vampire tilted her head, quirking an eyebrow in a way that told Adilyn she wasn't backing down. Another knock sounded, louder this time. Adilyn tore her eyes away from Jessica and hurried into the hallway, Jessica stalking behind her. Skidding on her socks to the door, she glanced at Jessica, whose fangs were out, hands fixed in claws – one of them shot forwards and gripped Adilyn's wrist, ready to pull her back. Adilyn opened the door slowly, peeking out, her heart racing. Jessica sniffed the air – she smelled a human, not a vampire. But still, she kept a firm hold on Adilyn as the girl pulled the door open wider to see who was outside.

"Jesus Christ, Wade!" Adilyn exclaimed in relief, tipping her head back and attempting to calm her thudding heart.

Jessica rolled her eyes when she realise who was on the other side of the door.

"What are you doing out at night?" asked Adilyn, opening the door a touch wider. Though she couldn't see the boy, she could tell he was anxious, his heart racing.

"Hey, Adilyn," said Wade – Jessica could detect a hint of shakiness in his voice, like he was nervous. "The vampire that looked after me went away with your dad to find my mom, so it was a choice between here and the bar. I've had more than enough of that place. And… you seemed kinda weird and I was just wondering if… we could talk… about –" He tailed off as Adilyn pushed open the door far enough for Jessica to see him. His eyes widened, his gaze darting down to their linked hands quickly before he focused on Jessica. They stood in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Jessica swore under her breath and gently pulled Adilyn back inside. She reached for Wade, grabbing his elbow and tugging him into the house. Closing the door with a loud snap, she turned; her gaze flickering from Wade's apprehensive expression to Adilyn's puzzled features.

"No hangin' around outside, idiot," she growled. Wade stood slightly behind Adilyn, looking wary. Adilyn was regarding Jessica with a bemused expression. "You wanna get both of you killed?"

"Everythin' okay, Jessica?" the faery asked cautiously, taking a tentative step towards the vampire.

"Fine," she shrugged, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "Just fine." Adilyn's gaze was focused on Jessica's face, trying to maintain eye-contact, but Jessica looked away.

"Okay," said Adilyn slowly, drawing out the vowels. "Wade, could you give us a sec?" she asked with an apologetic look.

"Oh, uh… sure," said Wade, turning and wandering into the living room. Jessica glared after him as Adilyn spun to face her. Jessica placed a hand on her hip and stared at the wall, still avoiding Adilyn's eye.

"What's up with you? You don't want him here?" asked Adilyn quietly, moving so that she was in Jessica's line of sight. The vampire took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she tried to work out exactly why she was so against having the boy stay here for the night. Maybe it was territorial, she guessed.

"It's not that," replied Jessica, shaking her head slightly. "But… I'm here to keep _you_ safe. With him here, I'll have to deal with him too."

"You'd have to deal with whatever came by here anyway. What does it matter if Wade's here?"

Jessica rolled her eyes in frustration, a low, rumbling growl climbing from deep in her chest as she ran a hand through her hair, trying to maintain a hold on her temper. If she got angry, she would be more likely to succumb to her hunger. Though she was steadily growing accustomed to the sweet scent that followed Adilyn around like some kind of aura, she still didn't want to risk losing control again.

"If I have to get you out quickly, I'll have to leave him," growled Jessica. Adilyn opened her mouth but Jessica leaned in closer, pointing a finger an inch from Adilyn's nose. The honeyed scent wafted over her senses, but she could ignore it. "Then _you_," she said, tapping the tip of Adilyn's nose lightly. "Will get pissed at me."

"But we can't just toss him out," argued Adilyn, batting Jessica's hand away and staring her down. Jessica's mouth opened to debate, but closed again. Adilyn raised a cocky eyebrow before Jessica relented.

"I guess not," she grumbled. Adilyn's smile blossomed across her features, momentarily distracting Jessica for a second. A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Oh. Should I… leave you two alone?"

"What? Why?" asked Adilyn, her naivety surfacing yet again. Jessica cocked a hip, resting her hand on it as she tilted her head, waiting for Adilyn to get it. Realisation dawned on the faery, her chocolate eyes glittering and a loud laugh erupting from her chest. Slightly taken aback by Adilyn's reaction, she waited a few seconds while the girl controlled herself.

"No, I… I don't think we're like that," she grinned, running a hand through her hair. "It was nice, but not… not quite right," she said quietly. "I'm not sure about anything."

Jessica nodded, understanding what that was like. She had the same thoughts about Adilyn – was it the addictive qualities of her blood that fuelled her irrational urge to drop-kick the human who just walked in, or was it her growing feelings for Adilyn? In vampire terms, Adilyn was hers. She had claimed her, in a way. But that did not apply to humans. Jessica turned these thoughts over in her head, watching Adilyn as the girl seemed to be building up to say something.

"Uh… Jessica?" she asked quietly. Jessica snapped out of her musings and looked down at the shorter girl. "When humans drink vampire blood…" Adilyn started slowly, her eyes roving across Jessica's face for her reactions. "Is it normal to have… uhm…" The girl paused, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear and glancing at the floor.

"Dreams?" suggested Jessica with a knowing grin. Adilyn nodded. Jessica tried to hold back the gleeful edge to her tone. So it definitely w_as_ her Adilyn was dreaming of. "Perfectly normal." Adilyn glanced up at Jessica, blushing. Jessica projected an amused façade, but underneath, she knew for sure now that it was just blood. Blood attracted her to Adilyn, and blood was causing a temporary attraction from Adilyn to Jessica.

"Good," nodded Adilyn. "So… is it normal then to be… confused about feelings for other people, due to the blood?"

"I guess so." Neither girl talked for a few moments. Adilyn pursed her lips. Jessica slipped her hands in her pockets and swayed from side to side.

"So, uhm… you want to sit? We can all watch a movie or something," said Adilyn with a hopeful expression. Jessica thought about it carefully. Though she wasn't pleased about being in Wade's company, she didn't want to make Adilyn feel awkward or guilty. Besides, she didn't really want to linger outside all night – it was unbelievably boring with no-one to talk to. She could watch a movie and still keep an eye and an ear open.

"Sure," replied Jessica with a smile.

* * *

"… And then I finished glamourin' him, and this pastor guy just yells it out to the entire bar!" cackled Jessica, clapping her hands together with glee. A roar of laughter came from Adilyn, who had been sniggering throughout the story. The girls lounged on the sofa; Adilyn leaning against the arm of the chair, her legs slightly bent. Jessica sat with her legs crossed, angling herself towards Adilyn, while Wade sat in the armchair a short distance from Adilyn. He had been very quiet throughout the evening, wary of the vampire in the room and also discovering how surprisingly close Adilyn had bonded with Jessica. It appeared that he and the movie had been forgotten by the two girls very quickly, who began a conversation about the plot and progressed from there onto stories from their past. Or more from Jessica's past – Adilyn didn't have much of a past to talk about. Wade could now have a pretty good guess at what had Adilyn so confused about their kiss. He didn't want to make a fuss or hurt Adilyn, so he decided to let her make her own decision, and he would accept it regardless of how he felt. His yawns had become more frequent as time wore on, and eventually, he succumbed to sleep.

"That's so mean!" giggled Adilyn, leaning forwards to lightly slap Jessica's knee. Jessica retaliated by smacking her foot. These antics quickly turned into a small war that involved pillows and a sock flying across the room when Adilyn had discovered Jessica was ticklish. A few minutes later, the pair of them lay on the couch to calm down after their tussle, their focus returning to the TV.

"Is he asleep?" whispered Jessica, shimmying up beside Adilyn, their feet propped up side-by-side on the coffee table.

"I don't know," replied Adilyn, tearing her eyes away from the screen. The lights in the room were off, so Jessica's face was lit up by the bluish glow from the screen. Adilyn was pleasantly aware of the increasingly short distance between them. Adilyn gazed over at the clock on the DVD player – it was around half-eleven. "Probably."

"I think you should sleep soon too," said Jessica in a low voice. Their arms brushed against each other, and a shiver ran through Adilyn. Her tiredness made it harder to suppress.

"I wanna see the end of this," Adilyn managed to say through a long yawn. Sudden movement made her jump as Jessica disappeared for a few seconds, blurring back with her arms full of blankets. She tossed one at Adilyn, on whom it landed, submerging the tired girl completely beneath its blue fabric. Jessica threw the other one over Wade, carefully making sure he was covered before returning to Adilyn's side. Leaping over the table and settling in beside her, Jessica found Adilyn holding out the corner of the blanket.

"I don't get cold," said Jessica, aware that her touch would only chill the faery. She pulled down the blanket and tucked it around Adilyn.

"Oh," replied Adilyn, exhaustion lacing her voice.

"Thanks anyway, though," said Jessica. Adilyn yawned again, clamping a hand over her mouth as she shifted further down the cushions and snuggled up against Jessica's shoulder. The vampire was surprised, but turned her eyes back to the movie, listening to Adilyn's breathing grow slower and slower until she was asleep. Jessica was content to sit and watch the rest of the movie with Adilyn gently shifting and snuggling into her for the next hour or so. At one point, Adilyn rolled onto her side, her arm reaching out and curling around Jessica's waist. Instead of finding Adilyn's scent and the pounding of her blood enticing, she found it oddly soothing. Adilyn made a quiet snuffling sound in her sleep, nuzzling Jessica's shoulder gently. Perhaps against her better judgement, Jessica shifted; looping her arm around Adilyn and pulling her closer, resting her right hand on the girl's soft hair. She was careful to keep the blanket between her chilled flesh and Adilyn. Much comfier now, Jessica attempted to keep her focus on the movie, but her attention kept slipping every time Adilyn moved or made a noise. She could honestly say that she was content, in that moment. Truly content. Although there was the danger of another infected vampire sniffing Adilyn out again, Jessica allowed herself to relax properly for a while.

* * *

Jessica shot up into a sitting position, accidentally pulling Adilyn with her. The girl snapped awake, throwing her hand down onto the sofa to brace herself. She groggily looked around as Jessica leapt to her feet, head tilted in a way that Adilyn recognised as the vampire's 'I'm sensing something' look. Adilyn leaned forwards and got to her feet, bundling up the blanket and discarding it carelessly on the sofa cushions. She scampered to Jessica's side, seeking the safety of Jessica's proximity.

"What is it?" she asked fearfully, feeling the tell-tale tingle in her hands. "Vampires?" Jessica shook her head, holding up a palm to silence her. Adilyn closed her mouth, but reached out, brushing her fingertips over Jessica's arm. Her skin tingled and after a few moments of concentration, she could hear a string of thoughts bleeding through her mind.

"… _Not vampires. Humans. But a vampire smell. Close contact, probably. Comin' up to the front door. Fight or run? Runnin' might not be best. Damn Wade, fuckin' up my plans. Wait. Adilyn?" _Jessica looked down at Adilyn, raising an eyebrow. "_Are you readin' my mind again?"_

"_Sorry,"_ Adilyn thought in reply. "_You said be quiet."_

"_This isn't exactly what I meant –" _Jessica's head snapped up, her icy eyes blazing._ "Front door!_"

Adilyn jumped as Jessica blurred away from her. Although her mind screamed at her to stay in the living room, her feet dragged after Jessica. She skidded to a halt in the hallway, Jessica's arm swinging out and blocking her way, holding her back. Even Adilyn could hear the scratching and rattling of the doorknob turning, heavy footsteps on the wooden porch.

"Step back from the door!" yelled the vampire, shifting her position so she was standing in front of Adilyn, a protective arm shielding her. Her fangs slipped out with an ominous click. "I can hear you!" Adilyn stood on her tiptoes, peering over Jessica's shoulder.

"Relax, Jessica!" came the reply, muffled by the door that separated them. The door opened, despite Jessica's warnings, and Andy stepped inside, his arms wrapped around a shivering Holly. Jessica sighed in relief as Andy shut the door. Adilyn leapt past her and threw her arms around her father, who returned the hug tightly.

"I'm alright, sweetheart," mumbled Andy as Adilyn continued to squeeze him. She let go after a moment, turning to Holly. The woman looked exhausted and beaten, pale and bruised. Opening her arms, she wrapped Holly in a warm, gentle hug. Holly shook beneath her touch, seemingly close to tears.

"Thank God you're okay," she whispered in Holly's ear. The woman nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Footsteps from the living room made everyone turn to see Wade, bleary-eyed and yawning, emerging from the dark into the light of the hallway.

"I heard shoutin'. What's goin'…?" He paused, hand rubbing the back of his neck as he took in the newcomers. "M-Mom?" he stuttered, his eyes wide. Holly managed a small smile as Wade darted forward and hugged her close.

"I'm – I'm okay, honey," she said in a tiny voice, rubbing circles on his back as he sobbed. Her voice was close to breaking now too. Adilyn glanced at Andy, who was watching the mother and son with a relieved smile. Jessica, on the other hand, was slowly sliding towards the stairs. Adilyn scurried over to her, brushing her arm.

"_Where are you going?" _she asked, trying to block out Jessica's maelstrom of thoughts. Jessica paused at her touch, whipping around in fright.

"_I doubt she wants to see a vampire right now,"_ replied Jessica, staring into Adilyn's eyes. "_Think about what she's been through."_

"Hey. You girls okay?" asked Andy. Withdrawing her hand quickly, Adilyn fought the tiny blush that rose to her cheeks and slipped her hands into her pockets.

"Fine," said the pair simultaneously. They glanced awkwardly at each other before returning their attention to the scene.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" asked Wade, pulling back from his mother and clasping her shoulders, scrutinising her pale face for any serious damage. Jessica took a tentative step forwards, keeping her gaze on the floor.

"I – I can give you blood, if – if you want it. It'll heal you if you're injured –" she muttered quietly, unable to meet Holly's eye.

"It's okay, darlin'," replied Holly, her tone still shaky as she focused on Jessica. "I ain't in too much pain. I... I think I just need to sleep." The vampire nodded and retreated, hands clasped behind her back and staring at the floor. Andy quickly returned to her side, looping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his chest. "Where's Rocky?" she asked, suddenly panicked, her fists gripping Andy's shirt tightly.

"He's in town at the bar," chimed Wade. "There's vamps there. We didn't know where to go, really."

"Will he be okay?" asked Holly, her eyes threatening to water as she clung to Andy.

"He'll be fine. I'll take you to see him tomorrow," he assured her. "Come on, let's get you to sleep." Andy guided Holly to the stairs, Wade following behind. Adilyn clasped Holly's forearm as she passed before Adilyn stepped back next to Jessica. They watched the trio ascend the stairs – Jessica could hear Holly's tiny sobs when she reached the landing.

"Thank fuck," sighed Adilyn with a shuddering breath, leaning back against the wall and burying her face in her hands. She was unbelievably relieved to see Holly pretty much safe and sound. The faery found her fingers shaking, her eyes threatening to water.

"Hey, it's okay," said Jessica, automatically wrapping her arms around the girl, one hand curled around her back, the other buried in her hair, holding Adilyn's head to her chest tenderly.

"I know," sobbed Adilyn, the tears running freely down her face. "But – I'm just so –"

Adilyn couldn't manage to finish her sentence, but it didn't seem necessary. Jessica just held her until her sobs died down. Eventually, she lifted her head and wiped her eyes with a loud sniff.

"I'm so sorry, I –"

"Don't apologise," whispered Jessica. Adilyn stared up at the vampire as her cold hand drifted over the faery's face, fingers running over her cheek, catching the rest of her tears. Jessica gently tucked a lock of brown hair behind Adilyn's ear, gazing down at her in a way nobody had ever looked at Adilyn before. Caught in her icy blue gaze, Adilyn felt compelled to lean closer. Hesitantly, she tilted her head upwards a little. Jessica didn't move away, so Adilyn, feeling bolder now, leaned up on her tiptoes and parted her lips, pressing them gently against Jessica's. The chill of her flesh still surprised her, but pleasantly so. Jessica didn't respond, but she made no attempt to pull away either. Adilyn's eyes fluttered closed, savouring the feeling. The moment seemed to last for an eternity, but when she pulled away, forever wasn't nearly long enough. She maintained eye-contact with the red-head, who looked a little shell-shocked.

"What – Uh…" Jessica struggled for words. Adilyn blushed violently, her hands resting on Jessica's limp forearms hanging by her sides. She was unsure whether to remove them or not. She was unsure of everything now. Jessica cleared her throat, blinking a few times. "Uhm… th – thanks?" she stuttered, her brain unable to make sense of what had just happened. Adilyn suddenly began doubting herself, her boldness draining out of her body down to the ground.

"I… I shouldn't have done that," muttered Adilyn, skilfully slipping from between the wall and Jessica. "I'll just…" Adilyn scurried towards the stairs and darted up, taking the steps two at a time and jumping onto the landing. Without a backwards glance, she slammed the door shut and slumped onto her bed, pulling a pillow over her head and exhaling loudly. What the hell was she thinking?

Jessica made to run after Adilyn, but paused at the bottom of the stairs. Her lips tingled with the memory of sensation. Her tongue flickered out and swept across them, wondering if she should go after the girl. Biting her lip, she sighed and turned around, heading for the door. She would leave Adilyn alone for tonight. The faery was confused, with the blood and all the chaos that had happened recently. She didn't mean the kiss. It was just because she was elated and relieved. No, she would leave them all alone tonight. The family needed their space. Dragging her feet, she slipped her hands into her pockets and opened the front door. She closed it silently behind her and settled on the steps of the porch, leaning her elbows on her knees and cradling her head in her hands. Though she wanted nothing more than to go up and straighten this whole thing out, a tiny part of her wanted to live in this fantasy, that Adilyn wanted her as much as she wanted the faery. Even if it was blood messing with Jessica's head, she knew that she was bonded with Adilyn. That would never go away. Not for the vampire, at least. No, she wouldn't push Adilyn. If the girl wanted to forget about it, Jessica wouldn't push it. She wouldn't bring it up. She wouldn't cause her any more pain.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello, usual stuff. Mistakes, please forgive. Drop a review if you like, and thanks to everyone who has, and to the people who read and like it.

* * *

Adilyn slept soundly all night. When she woke, she found her cheek sticking to a page of her folklore book that she had managed to read two lines of before she fell asleep. With a grunt, she peeled it off and ran a hand through her mess of hair. Glancing at the clock, she realised she had slept until noon again. This was becoming a pattern of hers, ever since Jessica had been her protector. She stretched out her legs, kicking off the sheets that tangled around her limbs. Visions of the previous night raced through her mind – mainly Holly's safe return. She leapt off of her bed and darted out into the hallway. Pausing for a moment, she glanced up at the steps to the attic. She wondered if Jessica was up there today, if maybe what happened might have made things awkward enough to drive her out. Biting her lip, she decided not to wake the vampire – just the thought of talking about what happened made her stomach flip with nerves. Instead, she padded down the stairs, hearing Andy pottering around in the kitchen. Adilyn wandered in and settled at the table. Andy turned, a rare smile on his face.

"Mornin', darlin'," he said, passing her a plate of toast. Adilyn reached over for it and took the plate, spreading butter on the warm, crunchy bread. Taking a bite, she nodded in gratitude.

"How's Holly?" asked Adilyn through the mouthful of food.

"She had trouble sleepin'. I dropped her and Wade back home a few hours ago. But they're okay. I'll check on them durin' my break. Rocky was there waitin' for them."

"Good," nodded Adilyn, chewing thoughtfully. "Can I drop by and see her in a while?"

"Sure, honey. Just don't hang about in town for too long. People are still a little spooked." Andy finished off his own slice of toast and headed for the door. "Make sure you're home before dark. Oh, and… uhm…"

Adilyn quirked an eyebrow as Andy awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her eye.

"I came down at dawn to check on Jessica, and she… she seemed upset. You two seem pretty close –" Adilyn interrupted with a fit of coughing, a sharp inhale of air mixing with semi-chewed toast. "Jesus Christ!" grunted Andy, fetching a glass of water and crossing the room. He set it down on the table while placing a firm hand on Adilyn's shoulder, patting her gently on the back with his free hand. Adilyn gulped down the water between coughs, feeling her heart race as she struggled to breathe for a few seconds. For a moment, she had jumped to the panicked conclusion that Andy had seen them together, the shock forcing her to gasp. But now, as she recovered, she wondered why Jessica was so upset. Was it her fault, because of their kiss? Hand clutched to her chest, she hacked a few more times until air flowed into her lungs properly again. She still wheezed a little, drinking the water slowly to ease her scratchy throat while Andy rubbed small circles in her back. Suddenly, they heard a loud thud from above, followed by frantic scrabbling, a door opening and a loud shriek. The phantom door was slammed shut again. Adilyn and Andy looked at each other, their twin startled expressions relaxing. They were both still understandably jumpy from their recent encounters.

"Jessica," they sighed simultaneously. Adilyn slipped off of her chair and moved towards the door, grasping her half-eaten toast in her right hand. It was her responsibility to calm her vampire companion while Andy dumped Adilyn's plate in the sink to clean later.

"ADILYN!" screeched Jessica, the sound muffled by the two storeys between the attic and the kitchen. Both Adilyn and Andy jumped, surprised at how loud the vampire could shout. Taking another bite of toast, Adilyn hopped up the first few stairs, hearing Andy walk up behind her on his way to the door.

"Go make sure she doesn't break anything," grumbled Andy as he marched past. Adilyn mumbled a reply and jogged up the stairs. A loud ringing noise emanated from Andy's pocket as he opened the door. Pausing on the landing, Adilyn leaned out over the bannister as Andy fumbled with his phone and checked the caller ID. He rolled his eyes, a curse escaping his lips.

"ADILYN'S FINE, JESSICA! STOP PANICKIN'!" he bellowed. Adilyn winced at the volume, and wondered if her father and friend would actually have a full conversation just shouting to each other. It was preferable to them shouting _at_ each other, she mused.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW?" was the roaring reply. "SOMETHIN'S NOT RIGHT. I CAN FEEL IT!" Adilyn was surprised to hear how alarmed Jessica was at the thought of her in trouble. Her heart warmed at the prospect of Jessica caring this much for her welfare. "WHERE IS SHE, ANDY?"

"I'M RIGHT HERE!" shouted Adilyn to the ceiling. A silence fell as Adilyn lowered her gaze to Andy, who shrugged. "I'm alright!" she called, hoping to put the vampire at ease. Finally, they heard a gentle thump as Adilyn guessed Jessica slumped down on the floorboards.

"Oh," said Jessica, much quieter this time. Adilyn felt a small smile tug at the corner of her lips as she gazed up at the wooden ceiling.

"I'm off," said Andy gruffly, noting the smile on his daughter's face as she stared over at the attic. He thought nothing of it. Adilyn looked down at him and waved cheerily before scaling the stairs. "Make sure Ginger-Snap up there doesn't get herself into trouble. You neither, you hear?" Adilyn rolled her eyes and nodded before disappearing from sight.

Despite all that had happened, Andy had to admit he was glad that Jessica had come to them and offered her unwavering protection. Though every time he looked at her, he felt the dull ache of what she took from him, she had also returned Adilyn to him, and sworn to take care of her. That was worth more than brutal, bloody revenge at the end of a stake. The fact that he knew Adilyn would have someone to watch out for her for the rest of her life comforted him greatly. And he knew Jessica was serious about not hurting Adilyn.

* * *

Jessica collapsed to the floor, her head resting against the attic door. Her breathing was slow, deliberate as she closed her eyes, relaxing her tense body. When she woke up, she could feel that strange tugging at her heart, the bond forged between them through blood clawing at her, calling to her. Panic like she had never felt since she became a vampire raced through her, blinding her to the fact that a little sunlight seeped through the bottom of the door. Now, she felt her face ache with the burns she had obtained from that brief lapse in judgement. They'd heal soon enough. Through the gloom, she could see her hand resting against the floor, her skin frazzled and tender. Outside the door, she could hear Adilyn's quick footsteps ascending the stairs to the door. Jessica shuffled back, not wanting Adilyn to hit her with the door again. They pattered to a halt outside and Adilyn gently tapped on the door. Only now that the hazy fog that plagued her brain had faded, she remembered everything that had happened the night before. Holly's return, Adilyn's kiss, and her late night wander to Merlotte's, where she had witnessed something… She shook her head, not wanting to think about it.

"Come… come in," stuttered Jessica, her voice faltering due to her sudden nerves. The door opened and Jessica shielded her face with her arm. This was clearly the wrong thing to do, as she heard a loud gasp and the door snapping shut. Lowering her arm, she saw Adilyn sinking to the floor, her slender fingers flexing by her sides, as if debating whether to touch her. Jessica wasn't used to anyone looking at her with fear like that, like she was something fragile, precious and breakable. Something that the faery was afraid to touch – not because she would entice an attack, but because the slightest slip of Adilyn's fingers could cause the vampire pain. The fear in Adilyn's eyes for Jessica's wellbeing tugged at Jessica's dead heart, drawing bloody tears to her eyes. She blinked them back quickly, though she was convinced there were still the caked remnants of her tears staining her cheeks from last night after she saw… Jessica quickly brushed her forearm over her cheeks, ducking her head so her curtain of hair hid her from Adilyn's sight.

Adilyn finally found the strength to reach out and brush her fingertips over Jessica's soft hair, before sliding them down to her chin, tilting her head up so she could squint through the gloom.

"Jessica…" Adilyn whispered as she took in the dark burns over Jessica's cheeks and forehead. Blood dripped down her nose from her eyes as she winced with every minute movement.

"Don't," mumbled Jessica, trying to keep her head angled down, her eyes boring into a chip in the floorboard. She guessed she had ripped it off with her nails during a terrible nightmare. They were always about the same thing, nearly every night. Most nights, it was horrific flashbacks to when she attacked Adilyn and her sisters. Now though, the focus seemed to be on Adilyn; that time she had nearly attacked her in her room, even future events that probably would never happen – Jessica leaning in for a kiss, only to be overtaken by blood-lust and sink her fangs into Adilyn's neck. The mere memory of these made her shiver. "I look horrible."

"Never," breathed Adilyn as she bent down, firmly but gently placing her fingers under Jessica's chin and pushing her face upwards. Jessica acquiesced and reluctantly looked into Adilyn's eyes as the faery shifted closer, kneeling close enough to brush her knee against Jessica's thigh. Jessica shifted, her legs curled beneath her, but she maintained contact with the faery. She watched Adilyn's face crumple slightly as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. The air felt heavy with tension as Adilyn's eyes slowly passed over Jessica's face. She winced as her skin knitted together slowly. Jessica expected Adilyn to look away as she healed – it can't be a pretty sight. But the faery simply watched, fascinated. Jessica had never been looked at in wonder before. Not like this. Finally, Adilyn's eyes returned to Jessica's, the air around them seeming to stick together in a thick, heavy cloud of fog. At long last, Adilyn broke the spell.

"Daddy said you were cryin' last night," she whispered hesitantly. Jessica pulled away, refocusing on the floor.

"It's nothin'," muttered Jessica. Her lips tugged upwards a little as Adilyn's hand clasped her own.

"Tell me," asked Adilyn softly.

"Last night, I went to Merlotte's. Only for fifteen minutes or so. I needed to eat because… you know," she shrugged, ashamed. Adilyn squeezed her hand. "But after I had eaten, I was in the parkin' lot, and…" Her voice petered out. "I saw James with…"

"With someone else?" prompted Adilyn gently. She knew James was a concern. She had wished he wasn't, but she hadn't expected it to actually happen. Still, the fact Jessica had been hurt in the process made her feel equal parts guilty, for thinking it, and angry that it happened.

"With Lafayette," corrected Jessica darkly. Adilyn's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Oh," she said, unable to think of anything better to say. "It's his loss," she said quietly, rubbing her thumb over Jessica's knuckles. "You're pretty," she smiled, reaching over to brush Jessica's hair out of her face. Jessica didn't fight her. "You're kind." Jessica felt Adilyn's hands rising up to her face, brushing away the last of the caked blood from her tears. "And you're the bravest person I know." Adilyn leaned forwards without hesitation or fear and wrapped Jessica in her arms. For a few moments, Jessica didn't respond. "You deserve to be loved," she whispered.

"Thank you," replied Jessica in a shaky voice, but she didn't cry. Instead, she returned Adilyn's hug. They remained locked in the embrace for much longer than a normal hug, but neither cared, both relishing the closeness. Soon though, Jessica pulled back, a question burning on her lips. Though her stomach swooped with nerves, she forced the words out.

"Listen, about that kiss –"

"I'm need to go," blurted Adilyn, jumping to her feet. Jessica quickly reached for Adilyn's hand, but felt it slide from her grasp. She stared up at Adilyn, seeing the emotions swirling in her eyes; longing, coupled with fear and mixed with guilt. "Don't want you gettin' the bleeds and all that," she said quickly as she backed out of the room and closed the door, avoiding Jessica's gaze the whole time.

* * *

Adilyn emerged from her room after an hour or so with an itching need to be outside again. She dressed, showered and left the house, planning to go over to see Holly. She walked through the woodland, slipping her shoes off and flexing her toes in the warm, sun-baked earth. Her mind was whirling with thoughts of Jessica. Why she had chickened out and run away, she had no idea. It was just too much for her to handle at the moment. How had Jessica morphed from the monster that killed her sisters and haunted her nightmares to the girl who made her heart skip and graced her dreams? It scared Adilyn.

"Hey, Ad," said Rocky, standing by the door. He couldn't meet her eye, and she shifted her arms nervously.

"Hi, Rocky. You doin' okay?" she asked politely.

"Fine," nodded Rocky with a small smile. Though he didn't say the words, Adilyn could tell he was sorry by the expression on his face. "You want to see Wade? He's out right now, but you can wait –"

"Holly, please," corrected Adilyn.

"Ah, sure." Rocky stepped back and admitted Adilyn entrance. Adilyn ventured inside, still a little apprehensive being around Rocky, but willing to let the past go. "She's in the kitchen." Adilyn nodded and paced into the kitchen, moving her bare feet silently, her shoes clutched in her right hand. Despite her quiet approach, Holly seemed to sense her presence and turned, an anxious look on her face. However, when Adilyn smiled sheepishly, Holly relaxed and walked over to her. Adilyn opened her arms and fell into Holly's embrace, grateful to see her again. She was still pale, but looked much better than the night before, wrapped in her white dressing gown.

"How're you doin'?" asked Holly, once she had released Adilyn, her arms still lingering on the faery's forearms. Adilyn sensed Holly didn't want to talk about what she had been through, so she got to the second reason for her visit.

"Good, thanks," nodded Adilyn. "I… I was wondering if maybe I could talk to you about… since you're all spiritual and all…"

Holly smiled knowingly. "You want to know about your powers?"

"I thought you'd know more about it that Daddy," mumbled Adilyn. "But if you need time, I can come back later –"

"Don't be ridiculous," laughed Holly. Though the sound was different to her usual laugh – slightly emptier and more hollow than before – at least she could laugh at all. "I'm no expert, but I've learned a few things. Talk to Sookie too. She can help."

* * *

Evening was falling by the time Adilyn walked back to the house. She strode with a light bounce, happy that Holly had managed to explain a lot. For instance, the fact that it was a full moon tonight might explain why she was restless and needed to be around nature. Her telepathy had grown stronger, she noticed, as she sneaked through town. Though she had a greater degree of control over it, this many thoughts swirling around her was overwhelming, and she was forced to consciously block them all out. Holly had suggested a technique where Adilyn imagined each thought as a door, and she could calmly close it with her mind, effectively blocking it out until she wanted to unlock it. It had worked, though she needed to keep practising. She clambered over the fence and jogged across the lawn. Standing on the porch was a figure with a shock of flaming hair, arms folded and foot tapping angrily. Adilyn took a deep breath and slowed her approach. She didn't want to have the inevitable conversation about the kiss, and was determined to avoid it for as long as possible.

"You're up early," she commented coolly as she padded up the steps, dropping her shoes by the door.

"And you're late," replied Jessica, her tone steadily neutral.

Adilyn exhaled sharply, she just wanted to be alone to think clearly. "I was with Holly," she snapped, brushing past the vampire.

"And you walked home alone?" growled Jessica, holding out her arm and snatching Adilyn's wrist, preventing her from walking away into the house.

"The sun's barely down!" cried Adilyn, gesturing to the darkening sky above. There was still a golden haze over the horizon.

Jessica let out a humourless laugh, drawing Adilyn closer with her steadfast vampire strength. Adilyn struggled but couldn't free herself. "These vamps are insane, Adilyn! A few burns won't stop them if they're already dyin'! If they find you, they'll just want to experience ecstasy before they meet the True Death!"

"Oh, believe me! I know what vampires can do!" Adilyn spat venomously, letting all her pent up frustration out in a simple sentence. She froze the instant her words tumbled out of her mouth. Jessica's stern expression seemed to melt, her jaw hanging open a little. "No, I didn't –" Jessica let go of Adilyn's hand, her arm dropping limply to her side.

"You're right," mumbled Jessica quietly, turning on her heel and drifting down the steps, wandering into the middle of the lawn.

"Wait!" called Adilyn, leaping down the steps and landing on the soft grass. "Don't leave!"

"I ain't leavin'!" snapped Jessica over her shoulder. "Just go inside," she sighed, loud enough for Adilyn to hear.

"Jess, I'm sorry –"

A sudden snap from nearby made Adilyn's blood freeze. Jessica felt her terror and her head snapped up, straining her senses for the source. Then she saw it, as soon as the rank, rotting smell hit her; an ominous, dark blur racing towards her across the lawn.

"Get inside!" yelled Jessica, blurring to the faery's side and shoving Adilyn back. Adilyn stumbled a few steps with the force of the blow, struggling to find her feet. She heard a shriek from behind her but ignored it. She leapt up the steps, only to feel a chilled hand grab her ankle and pull. She hit the wooden porch hard, scrabbling to get up again. With a snap, the hand released her and she was able to scurry into the house, grabbing the door and hiding behind it. Her hands shook with terror as she watched the tussle outside. "Fuck _off_!" roared the vampire at her new adversary as she hurled the vampire across the grass. The intruder landed heavily as Jessica tossed their severed hand away. They rolled and stumbled to their feet. They said nothing as their eyes focused on Adilyn, a wicked grin forming on their face. Then they disappeared into a blur. Jessica darted out to meet them. Adilyn's jaw fell open at the speed of their fight – this was nothing like she had expected. The last time, the pair of vampires just stared at each other all night. This was brutal; predatory growls and cries escaping both figures as they darted around the lawn. Adilyn felt her heart racing, her hands tingling again as she struggled to keep up with the exchange of blows.

Suddenly, they froze. Everything was still. Jessica was pinned to the ground, struggling with all her might under the much larger vampire. She swore and growled, but he punched her hard in the face. Then he bared his fangs and sank them straight into Jessica's neck. The faery's eyes widened in horror.

"NO!" screamed Adilyn. The vampire looked up at her cry and grinned, his mouth covered in Jessica's blood. He ducked down again and tore off a chunk of Jessica's flesh, ripping a horrific scream from the vampire's throat. Again and again he clawed at her, bit her, all the time checking to see Adilyn's reaction, a sadistic leer plastered on his bloodied face. "Get the fuck off'a her!" Adilyn roared with a fury she had never felt. She felt a mixture of adrenaline and faery magic course through her veins as she sprinted to Jessica. The vampire snarled and darted forwards, but Adilyn felt a strange wave of tingling wash over her. Glaring at him, she found she could see the vampire moving in slow motion. On top of that, she could not quite feel, but somehow _sense_ Jessica's pain. Not only her pain, but also her desperate desire to protect Adilyn, her anger and frustration that Adilyn had left the house. A twinge of fear lingered in the back of her mind. She had been infected. Adilyn felt a torrent of rage crash into her as she raised her shimmering hands and directed a bolt of purple light straight at the bastard vampire who was surging towards her. The vampire screeched like a banshee as, instead of flying away like she expected, he was… the only word Adilyn could use was _obliterated_; his limbs, skin, organs blowing apart until his body exploded into a dark sludge. Still, the light shone from her hands as his insides were quickly evaporated until nothing was left but a pile of dust to be blown away on the wind. With a sound like thunder, the light snapped back to Adilyn, knocking her to her knees. She threw out her now normal hands, bracing her weight on trembling limbs as she forced breath into her lungs. A pained moan drew her attention back to the wounded vampire.

"Jessica!" Adilyn breathed, crumpling to the ground beside her. Her cold flesh was covered in blood. She was slowly healing, but it didn't seem to matter – she was infected. Adilyn felt tears prick at her eyes as Jessica coughed weakly on the ground, blood oozing from her neck, and pouring from the deep slash wounds.

"I'm sorry, Ad," Jessica smiled before coughing again, blood pouring from her mouth. "Fuckin' bastard got lucky." She spat a mouthful of blood into the grass. Adilyn tore her eyes away from the wounds and focused on what had to be done. In Adilyn's panicked mind, there was only one thing to be done.

"You need to feed," urged Adilyn, holding out her wrist to Jessica.

"No!" said Jessica forcefully, shoving Adilyn's arm away. "Get inside! Others might still smell you!"

"Drink!" ordered Adilyn, holding out her arm steadily. "I ain't leavin'!" shouted Adilyn over her shoulder. "The only way I'm goin' back inside is with you," she promised. "So just drink and get it over with!" With that, Adilyn got to her feet and scanned the ground. Finally finding what she was looking for, she picked up the stone and took a breath.

"Adilyn, don't –" Adilyn sank the stone into her skin, wincing in pain, but no blood escaped. Crying out, she ran the stone across her skin until the hard material cut through her skin, fresh blood welling up on pale flesh. She could hear Jessica's groan as the scent wafted over her.

"Please," begged Jessica, genuine terror in her eyes as Adilyn knelt next to her holding her arm in front of Jessica's face. "I can't –"

"I'll stop you," promised Adilyn. "I trust you. So trust me."

Jessica fought against the urge, but finally the pain and the overwhelming scent took over and she dipped her head, lips locking over the cut and sucking desperately. When Adilyn began to feel woozy, she glanced down at Jessica's body. Her top had been torn, the thighs of her jeans too. Blood coated her completely. Adilyn wondered how long this blood could sustain Jessica if she was infected. If she was, then Adilyn didn't know what she would do. For now, she would focus on getting her well enough to walk back into the barely even occurred to her that she too would be infected – not that it would matter. If vampires attacked her, they'd drink her dry. At least now, she could leave them a parting gift. When she sensed Jessica had drank enough, she focused on her right palm and conjured a handful of purple light. Carefully, without too much force, she eased it to Jessica's face. Quickly, Jessica shied away from it, compelled to move backwards.

"I want more!" she growled, blood dripping from her mouth and smeared over her face.

"No," said Adilyn firmly, shaking her head. She was tired of being afraid. She was done with being defenceless.

"More!" roared Jessica, darting forwards. Adilyn held out her glowing hand, which burned brighter as Jessica drew closer. The vampire cowered back, shielding her eyes. Some unknown force urged Adilyn to step closer to the vampire and press her fingers to Jessica's temple.

"…_Need blood, need blood, need blood…"_

"_No, you don't," _thought Adilyn. Jessica did a double take, her shaky hands twitching. Adilyn could see the vampire's pupils were wide, like she was high on a drug. Which she technically was, Adilyn mused silently.

"_I don't?_" asked Jessica, her pale lips parting slightly. Adilyn could see that her wounds were healing, but such extensive damage would take a while to repair completely.

"_No_."

"I don't…" sighed Jessica. Adilyn stepped back, aware that Jessica had lost the hungry glint in her eyes. How she had managed that, like some kind of glamour, she didn't know. It was instinctual. Jessica had not, unfortunately, become immune to the other effects of fairy blood. The vampire stumbled slightly, falling into Adilyn's arms. Adilyn tried to hold her steady as Jessica clung to her, swaying unsteadily as if she were drunk. Jessica looked up at her, giggling. "You're pretty," she grinned, reaching up and caressing Adilyn's cheek.

"Let's get you inside," sighed Adilyn, guiding her back to the house.

"Like, _really_ pretty," she said with a chuckle as Adilyn half-dragged the vampire into the house. Jessica's strength made it difficult to get her into the living room, but Adilyn managed, sitting her down on the sofa. Jessica leaned forwards to kiss Adilyn, taking the faery by surprise. Adilyn was frozen in shock for a moment as she relished the feeling of Jessica's lips on hers, her tongue swiping softly over her lower lip. Jessica drew back a few moments later, a happy laugh climbing up her throat as she gazed into Adilyn's eyes. "Nobody's ever been as nice to me as you have," she said quietly. Adilyn could hear the sincerity in her tone. Adilyn chose to address this when Jessica was sober.

"Maybe you should sleep this off or somethin'?" suggested Adilyn, amused at the situation despite herself. She kept an eye on Jessica's wounds, though they now looked several days old. She hoped there wouldn't be much blood on the sofa cushions – that would be difficult to explain to Andy.

"I ain't sleepy," sighed Jessica contentedly, raising her arms above her head and lying back on the couch, propping her feet up on the cushions. She tilted her head as Adilyn sank to the floor, exhaustion creeping up on her. Adilyn watched as Jessica opened one eye, pointing a finger at Adilyn and poking her lightly on the nose. "You really forgive me for all that shit I did?"

"Of course," said Adilyn immediately. Jessica smiled and tapped Adilyn's cheek.

"You care about me?" she asked, a little more timidly, but still maintained eye contact.

"Yes," nodded the faery, inching closer. Jessica's finger dragged down to Adilyn's lips.

"That kiss was real?"

Adilyn took a deep breath, feeling her heart fluttering. She had been fretting over this very conversation all day, but now that it came down to it, she found the answer easily formed on her mouth.

"Yes," she breathed, her lips moving against Jessica's cold finger. She knew that Jessica's vampire hearing would pick up her answer, even though it was barely a sound. Jessica's face lit up with a bright smile as she leaned over to kiss Adilyn. Adilyn closed her eyes and dipped her head slightly, but instead of feathery light lips on hers, she felt the weight of the vampire fall against her as Jessica fell off of the sofa and into her lap. Jessica erupted into a fit of giggles while Adilyn tried to suppress her exasperated grin. Adilyn rolled her eyes and grabbed Jessica's arm, pulling the still chortling vampire upright. They recovered for a few seconds, before Adilyn slipped her hand to the back of Jessica's neck and pressed her lips to the vampire's, thrilling in the cold shock of her flesh. Jessica's arms looped around Adilyn's sides, holding her closer as she lifted the faery easily, placing her gently against the cushioned sofa frame.


	8. Chapter 8

I apologise for the wait, I have definitely taken on too much stuff, but this is getting a lot of my attention - I have like three novels on the go too, plus other fics, which is no excuse (not bragging either, just saying up, I swear). By the way, if anyone would actually be interested in a novel I would write, please tell me, as I'm trying to work out whether to publish or not. Also, I don't generally write smut, but if any of you would like a smut chapter, send me a thing with 'SMUT' on it. Enjoy this one, and leave a comment if you like. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Sorry about the long message. Also, you might be getting a double update, depending on how long I manage to keep typing. Oh, and forgive mistakes.

* * *

Jessica broke the kiss after what must have been several minutes, resting her forehead against Adilyn's and stared into her chocolate eyes. Adilyn hummed contentedly, resting her warm hands on Jessica's shoulders.

"Are you okay now?" she whispered quietly. Jessica nodded, though she was covered in blood. Then she realised.

"Oh no," Jessica groaned, breaking away from Adilyn and burying her head in her hands as she slumped onto the floorboards, defeated. "No, no, _no_!" she muttered, rocking back and forth. She heard scuffling beside her as Adilyn crawled up to her and wrapped her arms around her shivering form.

"It's gonna be alright," mumbled Adilyn, though her voice cracked a little. There was no way she could deny the facts. She wasn't stupid. Jessica was infected. And now, so was she. Not that she was worried about herself at all. Jessica's chest heaved with heart-wrenching sobs as Adilyn held her close, muttering words of comfort in her ear and rubbing soothing circles on her arms. Laying her head on Adilyn's shoulder, the vampire clung to Adilyn's blood-stained shirt as tightly as she could without tearing it.

"At least you've already killed anyone who tries to drink from me," whispered Adilyn with a small, sad laugh. As she said it, her eyes burned as she fought tears. Jessica sniffed, running a hand over her cheeks, which were stained with blood. Tainted blood. She couldn't quite manage a laugh yet, but her sobs slowly diminished in volume until they were simply sitting on the floor together.

* * *

Adilyn knew fear. She had felt fear every day for the past while because of what she was, because of the vampires. And then the townspeople. She was used to fear. But _this_? This was a whole other level of fear. She couldn't quite work out how to react to it. It wasn't an adrenaline fuelled, fight or flight fear. That diminished once the threat had been removed. No. This was a slow, dreadful panic that grew like poisonous vines from the pit of her stomach to her throat, clawing to freedom. A terrified scream that refused to come out, remaining trapped in her chest. Her fear every night when she went to sleep was that Jessica would be torn away from her by a monster of the night. She had avoided that fate, only to have her vampire drift away instead. It was worse, somehow, to think that she would have to watch Jessica get steadily worse and worse, until she was gone. Because Adilyn _would_ watch. She would be there, holding her hand. She would stay by her side, no matter what.

"You're gonna okay," the faery said again, pressing a light kiss onto Jessica's temple. Jessica nodded half-heartedly. She was still trembling, though not as violently. Adilyn finally moved, slinking around to face Jessica and kneeling in front of her. "We're – Hey, look at me," she said gently, cradling Jessica's bloodied face in her hands. "We're gonna get cleaned up." A few tears leaked from Jessica's eyes, dripping over Adilyn's thumbs. "We're gonna get changed, and then we're gonna go to bed. Sound like a plan?" she asked. Jessica's eyes finally flickered up to Adilyn's, and she nodded. Adilyn stood and helped the vampire to her feet, looping her arm around her and guiding the shaken girl up the stairs to the bathroom. Jessica didn't seem to fully realise what was happening. She just followed Adilyn's lead. Setting her down onto the edge of the bath, Adilyn grabbed a towel and soaked it in warm soapy water. Jessica gripped the edge of the bath with white knuckles, staring at a spot on the wall. Now that they were in the light, Adilyn could see the extent of Jessica's injuries. Or rather, her semi-healed injuries. Her shirt was a tattered mess. Adilyn quickly handed her a towel to cover herself. Her expression was blank, lifeless, as Adilyn clambered into the tub behind her and slipped off the torn clothing. She winced, seeing the steadily healing gouge-marks oozing blood. However, her blood seemed to speed up the healing process. Chunks of flesh healed quickly as she wiped away the scarlet stains; forming first red, then pink, and finally pale skin. Jessica made no movements, gave no indication that she was in pain, and hardly even blinked. Adilyn cleaned her up as best she could, before leading the naked vampire – wrapped only in a towel – to her room. There, Adilyn fetched a pair of pyjamas for Jessica and set them down next to her on the bed. Jessica managed to look up at her and attempt a smile, before Adilyn left to clean herself up.

* * *

When Adilyn returned to her bedroom, she found that Jessica had put on the pyjamas and was lying back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling. The faery closed the door quietly and crept over to her bed, slipping under the covers. Jessica moved to get up, but Adilyn gripped her shoulder, guiding her back down. Jessica didn't fight her, but shimmied over a little to allow Adilyn more room. Adilyn pulled the sheet from underneath the vampire and held it up as an invitation. Jessica hesitated, but Adilyn waited patiently until she caved. Sliding under the sheet, they lay side by side in the small bed, staring at the ceiling in the warm light from the bedside lamp. She flicked off the light and settled down to sleep. She wasn't sure if Jessica would sleep during the night, but she didn't want her to be alone.

"Do you want me to stay up?" she asked quietly, rolling her head to the side. She heard a faint rustling as Jessica moved to face her, lying on her arm.

"No, it's okay," she said, with a small smile as she prodded Adilyn's nose. "You go to sleep. I'll be..." Jessica paused, her words tailing off. The smile dropped from her face and she glanced down, the inner corners of her eyes turning red again. Adilyn reached over and pulled her into a firm hug.

"It _will_ be okay," she said with fervour. "There'll be somethin' we can do." Jessica nodded against Adilyn's neck with a sniff. Adilyn let her go and lay back against her pillow, closing her eyes and relaxing. After a few minutes, she felt cold fingers creeping tentatively over her hand under the covers. Squeezing Jessica's hand gently, she felt herself drift off to sleep, comforted by the presence next to her. Her breathing slowed as she rolled onto her left side, curling up a little. Her feet brushed against Jessica's leg. The fingers of her right hand still entwined with the vampires. Shortly afterwards, Adilyn felt the bed shift as Jessica curled around her, draping her arm over the faery's waist and nuzzling into the back of her neck. Adilyn felt no fear at all of the vampire, but for her as she clutched her hand tightly until she began to dream.

* * *

"This is a ridiculous idea," grumbled Adilyn as she shuffled through the attic door, making sure to close it properly. Jessica had remained in her room until the morning, where she gently shook Adilyn awake just as the sun was rising over the horizon. Without giving Adilyn a chance to wake up properly, the vampire explained her plan quickly before flying off of the bed and darted upstairs as the first rays of sunshine poured in through the window. Adilyn yawned groggily and dragged herself off to the attic.

"I need to talk to Bill," replied Jessica. "He's my Maker. I would've told him yesterday if I wasn't worried about you here."

"Wait, did Dad come back?" asked Adilyn, reaching for the door as her heart began to race.

"Yeah, he's fine," smiled Jessica, approaching Adilyn and clasping her forearms. "He came back late but he's fine. I went down to tell him you're okay and explain what happened last night. He…" Jessica looked a little puzzled. "He _hugged_ me." Adilyn chuckled at the vampire's adorable expression. "And I didn't tell him about… you know," she mumbled hesitantly. "I really don't want to be chucked out. Or staked in my sleep," she added with a laugh. "Besides, I didn't know if you'd want people thinkin' you and I were –"

"I don't care," replied Adilyn, returning her grin. "But I don't want you to be staked either, so maybe wait until all this blows over before we tell anyone." Jessica nodded, pressing a quick kiss to Adilyn's lips before bearing her fangs, her eyes glinting mischievously. Adilyn bit her lip, holding out her arm. Jessica leaned forwards, taking Adilyn's hand carefully before Adilyn jerked it back, looking unsure.

"What if this doesn't work?" she asked, frowning.

"Don't worry," said Jessica. "I'll only need a few minutes. I could probably make the journey without it. It'd hurt like hell though," she added with a shrug, holding out her hand for Adilyn. Hesitating again, a thought struck her.

"Give me a minute," she called over her shoulder as she hurtled down the stairs to her room. There, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a purple shirt, foregoing socks and shoes. Racing to the kitchen, she left a hastily written note for Andy and then returned to the attic. Jessica looked away as she came back in, the bemused look still plastered on her face.

"Dad would worry," Adilyn explained. "And I'm not goin' to Vampire Bill's with my pyjamas on."

"Ah," giggled Jessica. Adilyn stepped forwards, holding out her hand. Jessica took it and licked her fangs before biting into Adilyn's flesh on her forearm. Adilyn winced – Jessica glanced up in apology. Adilyn could see the hunger behind her eyes as Jessica continued drinking. She stared at the dark ceiling, keeping quiet until she felt Jessica had had enough.

"Jess," she said firmly. "That's enough." She flexed her hand, feeling the familiar tingling return. Jess froze for a moment, removing her mouth, but hovering over the wound, as if torn between the urge to keep drinking and the fear of harming Adilyn. Pressing her fingers to Jessica's temple, Adilyn performed the same ritual as last time, harnessing her thoughts and managing to cut through the vampire instincts to the part of Jessica that didn't want to harm her.

"_You've had enough,_" she thought, attempting to sift through the haze of emotion in Jessica's head.

"_I want more,"_ was the muddled reply. Her consciousness was confusing, contradicting itself at every turn. There was a deep sense of unease and fear encompassing everything in this little world.

"_Enough, Jess." _Her 'voice' was not harsh, but strong. It gave Jessica something to follow, to concentrate on.

"_Okay." _Jessica pulled back, shoving Adilyn's arm away from her face and taking a brisk step away from Adilyn. One deep, cleansing breath later and Jessica was back in full control. She stepped forwards and licked Adilyn's arm a few times.

* * *

Her cold tongue ran across Adilyn's skin, fighting the urge to drink any more. It smelled _so_ good, the sweet, honeyed scent wafting around her. But she controlled herself. Adilyn was frowning at her as she drew back.

"Speeds up healin'," she explained. She turned to face the door, steeling herself. "Let's see if it works."

"I still think this is a bad idea," grumbled the faery as she walked to the door and placed her hand against the cool handle. Jessica took a deep breath and nodded, indicating she was ready. Jessica could see Adilyn was worried, but they would never know if they didn't try. Adilyn slowly turned the handle and opened it, letting a few rays of sunshine in. Jessica instinctively shied away as the light fell upon her bare feet, but she felt no burning. Just warmth.

"Is it workin'?" asked Adilyn excitedly, though she was still ready to slam the door shut.

"Yeah!" breathed Jessica, feeling oddly elated. She stepped fully into the sunlight, basking happily in her euphoria for a moment. Sunlight hadn't touched her skin for years. This was just… heavenly, for a creature of the dark like her.

"How does it feel?" asked Adilyn, standing beside her and watching her with a fond smile.

"It feels…" Jessica couldn't find the words, so she just took Adilyn's hand and felt the tears prick behind her eyes.

"We should go, you know, before…" said Adilyn quietly, nudging Jessica in the ribs softly. She felt bad to ruin such a beautiful moment, but she didn't want Jessica to burst into flames on the way there.

"You're right," grinned Jessica, quickly sweeping Adilyn into her arms – ignoring Adilyn's yelp of surprise and subsequent swearing as she darted out of the house into the morning sunshine.

* * *

Adilyn buried her face in Jessica's neck as she felt the world disappear from around them, the wind buffeting against her as Jessica seemed to skim over the ground. Her nails dug accidentally into Jessica's skin, but the vampire barely noticed. She was too busy enjoying being in the sunshine, and the drug-like qualities of Adilyn's blood. The faery worried about the effect her blood would have on the infection; would it spread quicker or slow it down? Would it have any effect at all? Her musings were cut short when Jessica took a short-cut through a wooded area – Adilyn was sure they would hit a tree and die.

At long last, they reached Bill's mansion. Jessica skidded to a halt on the lawn, spinning round and round with the sun gleaming off of her face. Adilyn was not amused – she found that she loathed this particular form of travel.

"Jessica Hamby, you put me down this instant!" she shrieked as Jessica lifted her high above her head. Still grinning, Jessica lowered her to the ground before she ran off across the lawn, positively frolicking in the light of day. Adilyn rolled her eyes and trudged to the short flight of stairs and sat on the bottom step, watching in amusement as Jessica danced around in her light blue pyjamas.

"At least open the door so I can wake Bill, if you're gonna play about out here!" called Adilyn, realising she'd have to reign in the vampire soon. Jessica blurred right up to her, slamming her against the door and kissing her fiercely. Jessica produced a key from her pocket and unlocked the door, pushing Adilyn inside. Adilyn wrapped her legs around Jessica's waist and kissed her back with equal fervour in the middle of the hall, until Jessica set her down on the ground, pressing their foreheads together.

"Two minutes," she murmured, placing a peck on Adilyn's cheek before disappearing outside again. Adilyn blinked, confused by the rapid change of events. "Two minutes, I swear!" Jessica called from outside. Grinning despite herself, she smoothed over her hair. Jessica deserved to feel the sunlight for as long as she could. She turned, wondering if she should wake Bill. If so, then where would he be?

"Good afternoon." A voice from the darkness of another room cut through the silence of the massive house. Adilyn froze, biting her lip. How much had he seen?

"Mr Compton?" she asked, hurriedly closing the door over so the vampire could emerge from the shadows.

"I am he." The vampire was dressed in a pair of grey sweats and a light blue, short sleeved shirt. His hair was dishevelled, his features tired but still handsome and a little intimidating. "And you are?"

"Oh," said Adilyn, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot as she slipped her hands into her back pockets. "I'm Adilyn Bellefleur. I'm a… uhm…" How should she describe herself here?

"Miss Bellefleur," he nodded, approaching her slowly and taking her hand – pausing to ensure this was acceptable – and kissing it quickly. "My deepest apologies for your sisters," he said with genuine concern. "If there is _anythin'_ I can do to help you and your family –"

"That's very kind, Mr Compton," smiled Adilyn. He gestured for her to walk with him to the living room. "But it's okay. Jessica's done more than enough to make up for that." Bill seemed happy at this as he clapped his hands together.

"Where is that child?" he asked, frowning in concern. "Has somethin' happened?"

"No, no, she's… uhm," Adilyn couldn't think of an easy way to say this. "She's not hurt…" Bill looked even more worried and confused. As Adilyn struggled for words, the front door burst open and Jessica appeared beside her, pulling Adilyn in for a deep kiss. Adilyn's eyes widened, glancing over to Bill, whose eyebrows had shot up in surprise. Adilyn tried to look apologetic and attempted to wrench Jessica off of her.

"Jess," she said, pulling her head back. "Mr Compton is here–" Jessica let her go immediately and looked around wildly, her eyes falling on Bill.

"Uhm… she said, looking a lot like a deer caught in the headlights. "Hi, Bill." Adilyn could have face-palmed - the tension in the room was tangible. Silence reigned for several long moments. Bill and Jessica just looked at each other, neither wanting to be the one to start an unbelievably awkward conversation.

"Bill? What's goin' on?" came a new voice from the hallway. Everyone turned to see Sookie flouncing into the living room. She stopped, eyeing each inhabitant individually. Adilyn was staring at the floor, looking half-embarrassed and half-amused. Jessica was desperately avoiding Bill's eye, tapping her foot loudly as she wrung her hands. Bill just looked amused. "What the fuck's goin' on now?" she sighed, slumping onto the couch.

* * *

"So she's high on your blood?" asked Sookie to Adilyn as the girl took a drink of water. Adilyn nodded and lowered the glass, condensation dripping over her fingers as she placed it back on the coaster. "Explains a lot," she muttered, glancing at Jessica, who was standing by the front door, enjoying the sunlight with a massive smile on her face. Bill and Sookie sat opposite Adilyn, who felt more and more uneasy as she explained the events of the last week. Adilyn had broken the news that she was infected before she said anything else. Bill was upset, but hiding it. Sookie was extremely worried, but assured Adilyn through silent thoughts that there would be something they could do.

"Are you _sure_ she's infected?" asked Bill, hope clinging to his voice. Adilyn reluctantly nodded again. Bill folded his arms, frowning. "I'm takin' her to the clinic as soon as night falls. You should come too," he added. "Just to be sure."

"I will."

Adilyn looked to Sookie, who was staring at the door, where Jessica repeatedly went through the cycle of lounging languidly in the sunlight, then getting up and dancing around.

"How long has she been like this?" asked Sookie, as they heard another delighted yelp from outside.

"About half an hour," replied Adilyn truthfully.

"How much did she _take_?"

"Not an awful lot," mused Adilyn. Since she was more Fae than Sookie, her blood must last longer. It was logical.

"Jessica!" shouted Bill for the third time during the conversation. The last two times she had been called in, she had fidgeted and pouted until Bill let her back outside. "Can you come in here, please? We need to talk!"

Jessica blurred in, slumping down next to Adilyn with a giggle.

"I think it's wearin' off a bit. I'm roastin'." She nudged Adilyn before lying back and hanging her legs over the arm of the chair. Her arms stretched above her head, splaying over Adilyn's lap. Adilyn smiled apologetically as Sookie grinned. Bill too, looked amused.

"How are you feelin'?" asked Sookie, leaning forwards and tilting her head to catch Jessica's eye across the table.

"Fine," grinned Jessica, though with less enthusiasm as she had the last time she was asked. Adilyn could tell the blood was nearly gone from the vampire's system now. She reached forwards and picked up her drink, sipping away so that she had something to do while Jessica's odd little family talked. She wasn't sure exactly where she stood with Bill. He must like her though - he kept smiling whenever she caught his eye.

"We're takin' you to the clinic tonight. Just to be sure," said Bill calmly.

"Okay," sighed Jessica. It was clear she didn't want to talk about it, so Bill sat back, attempting to hide his concern.

"I think most of the rebel vamps are dead now," said Sookie, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"That's good," replied Adilyn, relieved. Bill nodded as Jessica toyed with a coaster, holding it above her head.

"We should celebrate," nodded Bill. He looked to Jessica. "They started restocking a new synthetic blood – New-Blood. You can bring your _friend_," he added with a smirk as Jessica fumbled with the coaster, dropping it onto her own face by accident. She tossed it onto the table, glaring at him. Adilyn pursed her lips, unsure of what to say. Deciding to just keep drinking to avoid conversation, she glanced from Jessica to the other two. Sookie looked confused – Adilyn hadn't mentioned any relationship stuff, just the relevant details of the attack and Adilyn's powers. "But…" Jessica sensed a lecture coming, so she adjusted her position, sitting appropriately with her legs crossed at the knee. Her shoulders brushed Adilyn's. "I want you to know that, speaking as somewhat of an expert, vampire and faery relationships…" Jessica's eyes widened, realising where this was going.

"Bill, please stop –" begged Jessica. Bill carried on regardless.

"Mr Compton, this ain't necessary –"

"While extremely satisfying, they're also –"

"Christ, Bill! Stop! Talkin'!" pleaded Jessica, unable to look at anyone.

"Wait, are you givin' them the _talk_?" asked Sookie, eyes flickering from Adilyn to Jessica. Adilyn choked on a gulp of water, coughing a few times. "I thought the coupley vibe was just the blood!"

"Sookie –"

"Bill, Jess has drank Adilyn's blood and she's still here! They've found out how to make it work for them. Don't embarrass them," she scolded with a smile.

"Thank you, Sookie," breathed Jessica gratefully.

"Even though I'm a bit pissed that nobody told me. You make a cute couple."

Adilyn blushed as Jessica laughed nervously.

"Now who's embarrassin' them?" enquired Bill politely, only to receive a cushion to the face.


End file.
